Feb 23, 2024 6:15 am
DOOM OF THE SAVAGE KINGS
A Level 1 Adventure by Harley Stroh
Starring Judge Harrigan, Ciriaco, KCC, Len, and Darkstar8
DCC DotSK: Act 1-3
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DOOM OF THE SAVAGE KINGS
A Level 1 Adventure by Harley Stroh
Starring Judge Harrigan, Ciriaco, KCC, Len, and Darkstar8
Feb 23, 2024 6:38 am
ACT 1
PROLOGUE
It has been three hundred years since famed King Gulric rode west from his castle in the capital city of Ymeria; three hundred years since he tamed the wildlanders, the petty kings and upstart jarls who had long before settled — in their crude way — the dark and misty forests and moors that crawled up to the towering, snow-fanged Trolltooth mountains in the west. They bent the knee, those savage kings and princes, but only while Gulric and the generations that came after him garrisoned their villages, patrolled their roads, and forcibly levied their various taxes.
But Ymeria has ever been a strife-ridden kingdom, a country filled with covetous and resentful men and women who never seem satisfied with their lot in life. At the very precipice of the known world, it was forever gnawed at by the broken hills, frigid forests and fetid swamps bordering it, and by the decrepit, monstrous and ancient things that dwelled in those uncultivated, brutal places. Many on Aerth, in fact, saw Ymeria itself as barely civilized, with its history of fratricide in the royal family, bloody coups, and rumored pacts made with dark forces to secure what often seemed the most trivial of advantages.
It is a land that often boils with rebellion and civil war, as it does now…
PROLOGUE
It has been three hundred years since famed King Gulric rode west from his castle in the capital city of Ymeria; three hundred years since he tamed the wildlanders, the petty kings and upstart jarls who had long before settled — in their crude way — the dark and misty forests and moors that crawled up to the towering, snow-fanged Trolltooth mountains in the west. They bent the knee, those savage kings and princes, but only while Gulric and the generations that came after him garrisoned their villages, patrolled their roads, and forcibly levied their various taxes.
But Ymeria has ever been a strife-ridden kingdom, a country filled with covetous and resentful men and women who never seem satisfied with their lot in life. At the very precipice of the known world, it was forever gnawed at by the broken hills, frigid forests and fetid swamps bordering it, and by the decrepit, monstrous and ancient things that dwelled in those uncultivated, brutal places. Many on Aerth, in fact, saw Ymeria itself as barely civilized, with its history of fratricide in the royal family, bloody coups, and rumored pacts made with dark forces to secure what often seemed the most trivial of advantages.
It is a land that often boils with rebellion and civil war, as it does now…
Feb 23, 2024 7:12 am
GARION’S FOLLY (ALDRIC, DUFGAL, TY)
Garion, brother of King Gulric of old, had been a stunted and twisted man, one beholden to his brother’s good graces and generosities. So it was during Gulric’s campaigns in the west that Garion was granted what were seen as fertile wetlands and fields that could support a new habitation, one that would expand Ymeria’s borders and be a shining light in the dim mists of the west.
It was not to be.
The soil and the water around Garion’s Hold, it turned out, was sour and spoiled. Plants, when they grew at all, were stunted and sick; the clams from the mudflats were huge and deformed. The eels had an odd taste, and the barley produced a beer that few could enjoy. Over time, the place became known as Garion’s Folly, and it is here that our story starts…
A light rain is falling as Senka, a heavy gray cloak about her narrow shoulders, hurries from her master’s doorstep to the nearly empty market square in the middle of Garion’s Folly. The place bustled just weeks ago with the Harvest Faire, the days-long end-of-summer market that brought people from all over the region to trade and barter, to secure the supplies and stores they would need to survive the coming winter.
Lacking a nearby quarry, the village was constructed almost entirely of timber and sod, of wattle and daub. Low, field stone walls and chimneys were a common enough sight, but the palisade surrounding the town and its gate were of dark, hard-hewn wood rather than stone. The settlement was on the east bank of the reed-filled lake known as Muckmire Fen, and from it ran the stone-and-earth causeway that Guldric’s engineers had laid three centuries prior. That low bridge, now in a significant state of disrepair, ran straight across the fen, allowing direct access to the hinterlands in the west without the need to navigate the black bogs and mires that acted as a natural border for the wild lands.
"Hello," the hooded woman says as she approaches the three figures waiting in the rain. Empty stalls and some of the detritus of the fair dominates the center of town, but the woman gestures to one of the largest — and perhaps one of the only — mercantile trading houses in town.
"Aldric, Ty and Dufgal, yes?" the slightly-built representative of their employer says with some trepidation. "Relfarious awaits. Come in from the rain, please."
You three… introduce yourselves, describe your looks, demeanor, etc., please! You’re about to meet a wealthy merchant who has offered you work after quite a dry spell, so…
Anora’s post coming next!
Garion, brother of King Gulric of old, had been a stunted and twisted man, one beholden to his brother’s good graces and generosities. So it was during Gulric’s campaigns in the west that Garion was granted what were seen as fertile wetlands and fields that could support a new habitation, one that would expand Ymeria’s borders and be a shining light in the dim mists of the west.
It was not to be.
The soil and the water around Garion’s Hold, it turned out, was sour and spoiled. Plants, when they grew at all, were stunted and sick; the clams from the mudflats were huge and deformed. The eels had an odd taste, and the barley produced a beer that few could enjoy. Over time, the place became known as Garion’s Folly, and it is here that our story starts…
Senka
Lacking a nearby quarry, the village was constructed almost entirely of timber and sod, of wattle and daub. Low, field stone walls and chimneys were a common enough sight, but the palisade surrounding the town and its gate were of dark, hard-hewn wood rather than stone. The settlement was on the east bank of the reed-filled lake known as Muckmire Fen, and from it ran the stone-and-earth causeway that Guldric’s engineers had laid three centuries prior. That low bridge, now in a significant state of disrepair, ran straight across the fen, allowing direct access to the hinterlands in the west without the need to navigate the black bogs and mires that acted as a natural border for the wild lands.
"Hello," the hooded woman says as she approaches the three figures waiting in the rain. Empty stalls and some of the detritus of the fair dominates the center of town, but the woman gestures to one of the largest — and perhaps one of the only — mercantile trading houses in town.
"Aldric, Ty and Dufgal, yes?" the slightly-built representative of their employer says with some trepidation. "Relfarious awaits. Come in from the rain, please."
OOC:
And we’re off! Sorry for the lengthy opening and the delay. Couldn’t help but add a little flavor and context here… and I’m on vacation, after all, so the posting will be a little slower than usual.You three… introduce yourselves, describe your looks, demeanor, etc., please! You’re about to meet a wealthy merchant who has offered you work after quite a dry spell, so…
Anora’s post coming next!
Feb 23, 2024 7:37 am
MUCKMIRE MERCANTILE GUILD (ANORA, SOON TO BE JOINED BY THE OTHERS)
Relfarious the Shrewd is a rotund man who enjoys dressing stylishly, a merchant who favors eastern silks of bold colors — greens and golds in particular. His beautifully embroidered garb contrasts heavily with that worn by the simple folk of Garion’s Folly, and he prefers it that way, seeing that he is not partial to wool or home-spun cloth the color of dung.
The man stands behind a huge and ornate trading table; across from him stands Anora the Blue, an acquaintance he’d made some time ago, a young woman from the more civilized lands who was reported to have studied the arcane arts and the unnatural laws that were said to bind them. If anyone in town could get to the bottom of what had happened in Hirot, it was Anora, the extravagantly mustachioed man was certain.
"As i told you last night over dinner, the Baron’s Reeve was of no use to me. He won’t spare even a few guardsmen with the rumors of sinister shadows in the woods across the fen, so I have procured help for you myself. Yes! Three hard-bitten sellswords will safeguard you all the way to the village of Hirot — and back."
Then placing his hands on the sole object sitting on his trucking table, the red-faced merchant raised both bushy eyebrows as he patted the moldering leather cover of the rare folio Anora had found in his back storeroom, in the stacks of his old books, scrolls, and maps. The merchant wasn’t aware of what he had, but Anora brought the magic spell to his attention soon after finding it and confirming its veracity.
"Return with news of what’s happened there, find out why Dolsten and his two sons did not come to the Harvest Faire — and this treasure is yours, as we agreed!"
Sorry to have started this in parts — just wanted to get these up as I could and get us going.
Hit me with questions in the Discord, but summing yup — some usual traders from Hirot, a little village several days travel into the wilds, did not show at the harvest festival as expected. Relf has hired Anora and now the trio of "sellswords" to travel there and find out why — to make sure everything is okay.
Relfarious the Shrewd is a rotund man who enjoys dressing stylishly, a merchant who favors eastern silks of bold colors — greens and golds in particular. His beautifully embroidered garb contrasts heavily with that worn by the simple folk of Garion’s Folly, and he prefers it that way, seeing that he is not partial to wool or home-spun cloth the color of dung.
The man stands behind a huge and ornate trading table; across from him stands Anora the Blue, an acquaintance he’d made some time ago, a young woman from the more civilized lands who was reported to have studied the arcane arts and the unnatural laws that were said to bind them. If anyone in town could get to the bottom of what had happened in Hirot, it was Anora, the extravagantly mustachioed man was certain.
Relfarious the Shrewd
Then placing his hands on the sole object sitting on his trucking table, the red-faced merchant raised both bushy eyebrows as he patted the moldering leather cover of the rare folio Anora had found in his back storeroom, in the stacks of his old books, scrolls, and maps. The merchant wasn’t aware of what he had, but Anora brought the magic spell to his attention soon after finding it and confirming its veracity.
"Return with news of what’s happened there, find out why Dolsten and his two sons did not come to the Harvest Faire — and this treasure is yours, as we agreed!"
OOC:
Anora, same deal! Introduce your PC and tell us what she looks like, what she’s thinking, and what spell it is that hangs in the balance. Randomize level 1 and 2, then determine randomly. Reroll if you already have the spell unless you’re interested in the same spell with different Mercurial Magic and Manifestations. Oh! This folio also has references to a supernatural being… a potential Patron!Sorry to have started this in parts — just wanted to get these up as I could and get us going.
Hit me with questions in the Discord, but summing yup — some usual traders from Hirot, a little village several days travel into the wilds, did not show at the harvest festival as expected. Relf has hired Anora and now the trio of "sellswords" to travel there and find out why — to make sure everything is okay.
Feb 23, 2024 10:19 am
"And back." the woman almost scoffs, as if the matter had been in any doubt. "Yes…" she continues, as if giving the prospect great consideration. "… well, I should hope so, Relfarious!" she says, fiddling with the robes around her neck. She judges the bold blue of her own silk against the ones worn by the man across the table. His were most likely the finer cloth, though hers had been harder won most certainly.
Her busied her hands with the cloth, so as to stop herself from reaching out to brush the cover of the book once more. To distract herself:
"A trio, yes? And who are these men? The finest coin could buy, no doubt!" she says, and her sharp eyes scan the man’s face. She doubted they would be the finest of men, but she at least hoped they would be fine enough.
"Whatever their stock, you have no cause to fear, Relfarious. I’ll bring Dolsten here himself, if I lay hands on him!" she says, turning to look out the window to see if the trio were soon to arrive. Her thin face and sharp eyes meet her first, and she checks the beehive she had carefully woven upon her head to make sure nothing was out of place. Relfarious watched her from behind, she could see that in the glass.
"They’ll have certain expectations of a wizard, I’m sure. Anora the Blue won’t be the one to disappoint them." she calls back to the man, as she peers through the glass for her entourage.
Her busied her hands with the cloth, so as to stop herself from reaching out to brush the cover of the book once more. To distract herself:
"A trio, yes? And who are these men? The finest coin could buy, no doubt!" she says, and her sharp eyes scan the man’s face. She doubted they would be the finest of men, but she at least hoped they would be fine enough.
"Whatever their stock, you have no cause to fear, Relfarious. I’ll bring Dolsten here himself, if I lay hands on him!" she says, turning to look out the window to see if the trio were soon to arrive. Her thin face and sharp eyes meet her first, and she checks the beehive she had carefully woven upon her head to make sure nothing was out of place. Relfarious watched her from behind, she could see that in the glass.
"They’ll have certain expectations of a wizard, I’m sure. Anora the Blue won’t be the one to disappoint them." she calls back to the man, as she peers through the glass for her entourage.
Relfarious the Shrewd
Feb 23, 2024 6:37 pm
Relfarious the Shrewd
The Guild House is one of the few buildings in Garion’s Folly with glass panes in its windows, such as they are — thick, bubble-filled panes of glass, diamond-shaped and held in place by thick lead cames. The ripples that result from the ‘bullseye’ method of manufacture for the glass distort Anora’s view of the market square, but she spies four figures approaching the stout building’s front door in the wet.
"I have not told the three about your… expertise," Relfarious says lightly, twisting the tips of his mustache as he watches the woman from behind his trading table. Indeed, it’s generally not wise to reveal one’s wizardly tendencies in the best of circumstances, let alone in a frontier town where superstitions run high and the populace can react… poorly… to such displays.
"I thought I would leave it to you to discuss and reveal what you will to these hirelings… but I will say this: keep your predilections from the Reeve. He is not a man I trust."
To the question of the quality of the trio, Relf does not respond. Either he does not well know and cannot vouch for their capabilities, or… well, they are simply the best available at the moment for the task. Or they are at the very least willing!
OOC:
The local Reeve runs the town for the Baron, whose seat of power is some days travel by road to the southeast.After your intros outside, you other three are welcome to post that Senka leads you inside and into this room.
Feb 24, 2024 7:44 pm
Aldric strode forth toward the village, face was pointed to the sky, receiving the rain on his face like holy water. "The Bitch Queen's piss is upon us, my friends! Receive her blessing and rejoice! Har har ... ACK!"
He breaks into a coughing fit that produces a wad of phlegm, which he spits into the weeds beside the path.
Aldric's body had not yet recovered from almost drowning months ago. He wouldn't have lived at all, had Pelagia not come to him. She offered him a chance to live in exchange for eternal fealty, and he didn't really see it as much of a choice. Being in the goddess's presence drove him mad, and left him absolutely terrified of ever meeting her again.
The sickly looking man is dressed in leathers that still creak in a most annoying fashion, having been purchased fresh from the armourer two villages hence. Obsessed with not dying (lest his soul return to the Bitch Queen for eternity) he also sprung for a sturdy shield, which is now slung over his back. He since scratched Pelagia's holy symbol into the wood with a sharp rock- a pair of jagged zigzags lying atop each other, like they're fucking. In his hypothermia-induced blue fingers, he clutches the broken oar that he clung to in the waters as he was reborn as a Witness of Pelagia - his holy staff, similarly inscribed.
It was a fine balance, though, staying alive. His purse was alarmingly light, containing few coins and only one of them golden, and a safe job like potato farming wasn't going to fill it very fast. Pelagia expected him to do great works and mighty deeds and who knows what else, which required the kind of income that brought with it mortal risks.
So he signed on with these two beside him. He wasn't sure what to make of them, but unlike other candidates, they accompanied the Witness willingly. "Complete and utter fools must they be!" he says aloud, accidentally. He bursts into another fit of laughing and coughing.
He breaks into a coughing fit that produces a wad of phlegm, which he spits into the weeds beside the path.
Aldric's body had not yet recovered from almost drowning months ago. He wouldn't have lived at all, had Pelagia not come to him. She offered him a chance to live in exchange for eternal fealty, and he didn't really see it as much of a choice. Being in the goddess's presence drove him mad, and left him absolutely terrified of ever meeting her again.
The sickly looking man is dressed in leathers that still creak in a most annoying fashion, having been purchased fresh from the armourer two villages hence. Obsessed with not dying (lest his soul return to the Bitch Queen for eternity) he also sprung for a sturdy shield, which is now slung over his back. He since scratched Pelagia's holy symbol into the wood with a sharp rock- a pair of jagged zigzags lying atop each other, like they're fucking. In his hypothermia-induced blue fingers, he clutches the broken oar that he clung to in the waters as he was reborn as a Witness of Pelagia - his holy staff, similarly inscribed.
It was a fine balance, though, staying alive. His purse was alarmingly light, containing few coins and only one of them golden, and a safe job like potato farming wasn't going to fill it very fast. Pelagia expected him to do great works and mighty deeds and who knows what else, which required the kind of income that brought with it mortal risks.
So he signed on with these two beside him. He wasn't sure what to make of them, but unlike other candidates, they accompanied the Witness willingly. "Complete and utter fools must they be!" he says aloud, accidentally. He bursts into another fit of laughing and coughing.
Last edited February 24, 2024 7:44 pm
Feb 24, 2024 8:28 pm
In the cleric's wake totters a blind and hunchbacked beggar, beneath a battered, broad-brimmed hat and enveloped by a ratty woolen cloak. He's the sort one might see craving alms at any village gate or crouched over scraps in an alley, one of thousand such unfortunates and easily overlooked. There, are, however, a few peculiarities about him, should one care to look. The man's blindfold covers much of his face, down to the bridge of his nose, almost as if he were trying to obscure his features. He has a crooked posture, which makes his height hard to gauge. And the cane with which he taps along is wrapped from tip to tip in rough leather.
"Ahh, yes! The piss! HA ha..." Tyravasiel struggles to agree. It's like these flyspeck humans can't help but be disgusting, even in matters of faith. If one can call the reverence of what Ty imagines must be some sort of sea hag a faith. But trailing Aldric through the human lands as a pilgrim and convert to the worship of Pelgia... does he have that right? No, Pelagia. Pretending to a pilgrim seeking conversion to the faith of Pelagia has proven to be a decent cover for the time being. Aldric is loud and stange and mad enough that people tend not to notice Ty himself, and that is to his advantage.
True to his role, the wayward elf allows his 'spiritual leader' to chart their course across the muddy village.
"Ahh, yes! The piss! HA ha..." Tyravasiel struggles to agree. It's like these flyspeck humans can't help but be disgusting, even in matters of faith. If one can call the reverence of what Ty imagines must be some sort of sea hag a faith. But trailing Aldric through the human lands as a pilgrim and convert to the worship of Pelgia... does he have that right? No, Pelagia. Pretending to a pilgrim seeking conversion to the faith of Pelagia has proven to be a decent cover for the time being. Aldric is loud and stange and mad enough that people tend not to notice Ty himself, and that is to his advantage.
True to his role, the wayward elf allows his 'spiritual leader' to chart their course across the muddy village.
Last edited February 24, 2024 8:30 pm
Feb 24, 2024 11:03 pm
Dufgal, for the third or fourth time, pledges his services to the others he once followed without permission. He repeats himself when he’s nervous. Surprisingly, he is the least nervous when up to stealthing and such, but everything else in between gives him the quickened pulse.
"well, sirs and ma’ams… I means to be of service to yous and wish to say mah thanks again to yous. I’ll do what’n ye ask of us. And I’se most ready for anythin’ that needs done and I’se have none problems with doing those things."
He doesn’t realize just how uneducated he sounds because everyone else he has known sounds like him. The thief has no smile on his lips or in his eyes, neither does he seem unhappy. He is difficult to read so one must take him at his word. He resumes his position leaning against the post awaiting the next move.
The rain seems to have no effect on him as he is quite accustomed to being in the elements. Honestly, he prefers the rain as it washes the usual filth and grime away. His clothes are as simple and drab as his demeanor. He’s the sort that a bandit ambush would let pass assuming there’d be nothing to steal. He assumes that the only reason he’s been hired is because he seems utterly expendable.
"well, sirs and ma’ams… I means to be of service to yous and wish to say mah thanks again to yous. I’ll do what’n ye ask of us. And I’se most ready for anythin’ that needs done and I’se have none problems with doing those things."
He doesn’t realize just how uneducated he sounds because everyone else he has known sounds like him. The thief has no smile on his lips or in his eyes, neither does he seem unhappy. He is difficult to read so one must take him at his word. He resumes his position leaning against the post awaiting the next move.
The rain seems to have no effect on him as he is quite accustomed to being in the elements. Honestly, he prefers the rain as it washes the usual filth and grime away. His clothes are as simple and drab as his demeanor. He’s the sort that a bandit ambush would let pass assuming there’d be nothing to steal. He assumes that the only reason he’s been hired is because he seems utterly expendable.
Last edited February 24, 2024 11:06 pm
Feb 25, 2024 2:13 am
Aldric turns back to this Dufgal fellow they had picked up along the way. He wasn't sure exactly how that had happened. Dufgal seemed to just not go away after being told so, repeatedly. Ah, his second acolyte, praise Pelagia. Was his force of personality so powerful now that it could pluck men like Dufgal from their lives and onto the road without a second thought? And 'Sir.' Nobody called him 'Sir' before in his whole life, or 'ma'am' for that matter. There was power in being pledged to Pelagia, alright. True power.
He turns to him as he bumbles through his words. Gazing into his rain-speckled face, he can't help but think: what a plain and utterly expendable bastard!
"Dufgal - we know. You're a man of many talents and overflowing initiative. Now listen here. What you need to do right now is to be a convincing man-at-arms. We're to be paid to escort something ... or, someone? It matters not. They want men of action, and we need to look the part. Can you do this?"
When he turns to the disguised elf, his shoulders sag at the look of him. "Ugh, and what's your plan, Ty? Convince them that you can fend off highwaymen by threatening them with leprosy?"
He turns to him as he bumbles through his words. Gazing into his rain-speckled face, he can't help but think: what a plain and utterly expendable bastard!
"Dufgal - we know. You're a man of many talents and overflowing initiative. Now listen here. What you need to do right now is to be a convincing man-at-arms. We're to be paid to escort something ... or, someone? It matters not. They want men of action, and we need to look the part. Can you do this?"
When he turns to the disguised elf, his shoulders sag at the look of him. "Ugh, and what's your plan, Ty? Convince them that you can fend off highwaymen by threatening them with leprosy?"
Feb 25, 2024 4:15 am
Tyravasiel spreads wide his arms, as if to say, "Look at this wreck of humanity!"
"Now, father," he starts in. Father? Is that how the flyspecks refer to their religious leaders? "What highwayman would think me a threat? I'll take them by surprise, won't I?"
Ty vaguely spears the air a few times with the tip of his cane, by way of illustration. It would be more impressive if he looked like he could see what he was stabbing.
"Now, father," he starts in. Father? Is that how the flyspecks refer to their religious leaders? "What highwayman would think me a threat? I'll take them by surprise, won't I?"
Ty vaguely spears the air a few times with the tip of his cane, by way of illustration. It would be more impressive if he looked like he could see what he was stabbing.
Last edited February 25, 2024 4:15 am
Feb 25, 2024 5:32 am
OUTSIDE (THE TRIO)
Senka breaks off her approach to the building when the trio stops in the drizzle to converse and gesticulate, then rounds them up again and ushers them again towards the Muckmire Mercantile Guild House. No one wants these three to appear more hardened mercenaries than not-so-young-as-she-was Senka, a merchant apprentice who’s already been a clerk, a money-counter, and a notary… and who now has the responsibility, given to her by Relfarious, to find tough men to escort Anora the Blue on her long journey.
"This way, please!" she reiterates, then indeed leads the three man inside. Rainwater is shaken off, sodden boots are stamped, cloaks are hung if so desired, and the trio is led by the junior member of the guild into her master’s trading chambers.
RELFARIOUS’S TRADING CHAMBERS (ALL)
"Ah! Here we are then, the men I spoke of, Anora! Iron-handed and trustworthy men all, it’s plain to see! Seasoned travelers, armed and equipped for striking across the mire and into those woods where lurks Hirot! Welcome, welcome you champions of Garion’s Folly! We have need of your strong arms and… and… oh. Well. Hm. Senka, this is them?"
The well-groomed master guildsman’s enthusiasm wanes as he takes in the three men fully, and behind them, Senka’s cheeks redden. These dregs were the best the woman could do on short notice. Garion’s Folly wasn’t exactly brimming with adventuring types looking to head into the western wilderness!
Senka
"This way, please!" she reiterates, then indeed leads the three man inside. Rainwater is shaken off, sodden boots are stamped, cloaks are hung if so desired, and the trio is led by the junior member of the guild into her master’s trading chambers.
RELFARIOUS’S TRADING CHAMBERS (ALL)
Relfarious the Shrewd
The well-groomed master guildsman’s enthusiasm wanes as he takes in the three men fully, and behind them, Senka’s cheeks redden. These dregs were the best the woman could do on short notice. Garion’s Folly wasn’t exactly brimming with adventuring types looking to head into the western wilderness!
Feb 25, 2024 5:53 am
Dufgal sets his shoulders and sucks in his tummy. He looks pleadingly to the cleric.
"uh, more like this, sir?"
Then he looks at the blind man with a mix of confusion and concern.
"don’t be worryin’ sir. If’n any trouble comes, I’se gonna take care of it."
The gritty thief flashes his handmade garotte without flashing a smile.
"uh, more like this, sir?"
Then he looks at the blind man with a mix of confusion and concern.
"don’t be worryin’ sir. If’n any trouble comes, I’se gonna take care of it."
The gritty thief flashes his handmade garotte without flashing a smile.
Feb 25, 2024 10:43 am
The woman lets a quiet settle over the two of them as she considers his warning. She sighs to herself then, wondering how she had ended up so far from civilized lands.
"As you say." she says, relenting on the matter. She was no fool, and knew the names of several who had thought it a good idea to change hearts and minds this far out, to their own demise.
Peering out the window, she sees the correct number of people approach, but surely the incorrect manner of people. The man had refused to speak on the quality of the men hired, and so she feels her stomach drop a little as they creep ever closer to the storefront.
She fixes her silken robes, and adjusts them so that her long sword hangs on her hip for all to see. It might be that she had the strongest sword arm of the lot. She gives the man a stern look, before planting herself just inside the door for the others arrival.
"Equipped indeed." she says. "This one even thought to bring himself a walking aid." she says, gesturing to the blind man.
"As you say." she says, relenting on the matter. She was no fool, and knew the names of several who had thought it a good idea to change hearts and minds this far out, to their own demise.
Peering out the window, she sees the correct number of people approach, but surely the incorrect manner of people. The man had refused to speak on the quality of the men hired, and so she feels her stomach drop a little as they creep ever closer to the storefront.
She fixes her silken robes, and adjusts them so that her long sword hangs on her hip for all to see. It might be that she had the strongest sword arm of the lot. She gives the man a stern look, before planting herself just inside the door for the others arrival.
"Equipped indeed." she says. "This one even thought to bring himself a walking aid." she says, gesturing to the blind man.
Feb 25, 2024 3:47 pm
"All the better to strike across mires, madam!" Ty concurs. "Anora, is it? And were those the stentorian tones of Relfarious I just heard?" The apparent beggar looks out into the space somewhere between wizard and merchant.
"Well met, masters. Well met. I am Ty, a humble acolyte of-- Pelagia." For the moment, anyway. "Might I make bold to inquire what business you have for us that lurks in Hirot, and how we are to be paid for that business?"
"Well met, masters. Well met. I am Ty, a humble acolyte of-- Pelagia." For the moment, anyway. "Might I make bold to inquire what business you have for us that lurks in Hirot, and how we are to be paid for that business?"
Feb 25, 2024 3:57 pm
As Dufgal sucks in his gut and they eyes of their patron judge (very poorly, at that), Aldric's mind becomes consumed by the droplets of rainwater that the party drips onto the floor boards of the mercantile house. A remnant of the old potato farmer whispers in Aldric's mind
The gig's up. You reached to high above your station. Give it up, who are you kidding?
But then he remembers the terrible, terrible feeling he felt as the Goddess of oceans came up from the deeps. That horrible Dread as her collosal form swam beneath him, threatening to swallow him whole.
He drowns the doubts of the farmer in the deep pool of fear, and straightens himself. He summons forth his full weight of personality as he comes back to the present moment, ready to speak a sermon most convincing!
And then Ty opens his mouth. Oh, bother.
But the elf speaks rather confidently. Smooth is his voice, not matching his attire at all. Mystique. Mystery. Yes, who knows mystery better than the Goddess of the sea?
Witness.
He stomps the splintered end of his oar against the floor boards three times and declares with utmost religious solemnity "The herald has spoken."
The gig's up. You reached to high above your station. Give it up, who are you kidding?
But then he remembers the terrible, terrible feeling he felt as the Goddess of oceans came up from the deeps. That horrible Dread as her collosal form swam beneath him, threatening to swallow him whole.
He drowns the doubts of the farmer in the deep pool of fear, and straightens himself. He summons forth his full weight of personality as he comes back to the present moment, ready to speak a sermon most convincing!
And then Ty opens his mouth. Oh, bother.
But the elf speaks rather confidently. Smooth is his voice, not matching his attire at all. Mystique. Mystery. Yes, who knows mystery better than the Goddess of the sea?
Witness.
He stomps the splintered end of his oar against the floor boards three times and declares with utmost religious solemnity "The herald has spoken."
Last edited February 25, 2024 4:12 pm
Feb 25, 2024 4:33 pm
Assuming that he may not speak until spoken to, Dufgal remains silently attentive as the foppish merchant greets them and introduces them to Anora. He sends a signal to his face to soften into a confident smile, but a mutiny of muscles keeps his expression as gray as a cloudy day.
Feb 25, 2024 11:10 pm
Senka
Then, seeing the furrows in her master’s forehead when the blind one asks about payment, she hastily adds, "I have made an offer to them, Master Relfarious, but they wanted more… details… on the task at hand before agreeing. Thus — this meeting!"
Relfarious the Shrewd
"Your task is a simple one. This woman, here, to my right — this is Anora the Blue. She is an — an agent of mine. Of the Guild’s. And she has an important task to complete in the far village of Hirot. Hirot that lies across the Muckmire, several days into the hinterlands beyond that far shore. Tis a misty and lonely journey, not safe for a high-born woman to make alone. There are outlaws and savage men who roam the moors and forests of the west; you’ll need to be on your guard to dissuade them from harassing her."
Turning to look at Senka briefly, Relf says simply, "Wine," before the woman disappears and comes back minutes later with a decanter filled with ruby-red fluid and a tray of delicately fluted glasses.
"I have tasked Anora with finding a friend of mine. A man by the name of Dolsten. He lives in Hirot with his wife and sons, and always comes with his boys to the Harvest Faire. That fair was a fortnight ago, and Dolsten did not come." Pausing to raise his glass after Senka fills it, and all the others, Relfarious drains it and continues.
"Hirot’s meager harvests are not something the town can survive a winter on, so they always bring pelts, timber, and other items to trade — for pickled eel, for vegetables and livestock. Dolsten and his lads not coming means something is amiss. Anora is to find out what… and I wish to employ you three to safekeep her and likewise find out what you can about what’s happened there. A simple contract that will see you there and back again."
Feb 26, 2024 10:03 am
"It is." the woman replies to the blind… man, and her eyes and ears linger on him a moment more. It is as if she was trying to ascertain what little something itbwas that she was tasting, and at the same time trying to remember what it reminded her of.
As the man outlined the pact they’ve made once again, Anora watches the three.
A fraction less savage than the ones they were meant to guard against… she couldn’t help but think, before chiding herself for judging prematurely.
"Is there a caravan for the caravan guards?" she asks, wondering if the man was going to provide four wheels and a beast for them to travel with too.
As the man outlined the pact they’ve made once again, Anora watches the three.
A fraction less savage than the ones they were meant to guard against… she couldn’t help but think, before chiding herself for judging prematurely.
"Is there a caravan for the caravan guards?" she asks, wondering if the man was going to provide four wheels and a beast for them to travel with too.
Last edited February 27, 2024 8:29 am
Feb 26, 2024 2:33 pm
So swiftly does the beggar snatch himself a flute of wine that one scarcely sees his hands move. He passes the glass under his half-swathed nose, which wrinkles a tiny bit at the bouquet. Still, he sips.
"You must forgive me, master, but I didn't hear when you mentioned how much we would be paid for this venture," Ty says, between samples of the man's wine. "Old ears, you know. And is this several days' journey closer to three, would you say? Or five? Is that on foot?"
The blind man smiles by way of apology. "One must eat, after all, and I don't suppose that any woman with a sobriquet would be content to fatten upon mire forage. So we'll have to lay in stores."
"You must forgive me, master, but I didn't hear when you mentioned how much we would be paid for this venture," Ty says, between samples of the man's wine. "Old ears, you know. And is this several days' journey closer to three, would you say? Or five? Is that on foot?"
The blind man smiles by way of apology. "One must eat, after all, and I don't suppose that any woman with a sobriquet would be content to fatten upon mire forage. So we'll have to lay in stores."
Feb 27, 2024 4:46 am
Relfarious the Shrewd
When Ty speaks up again, evidently unwilling to be ignored, Relf stokes his oiled beard and casts a glance at Senka. Motioning her closer to him, he whispers a quiet word in her ear before clearing his throat and continuing.
"Blind beggar, I’ve seen you about, but you have me at a disadvantage. You know my name... and even my voice, it seems!"
Raising an eyebrow at Dufgal, and then at the once-drowned priest, the merchant adds, "Does your acolyte have some sight after all, then? Some sense that gives him worth?"
Senka
"Getting to Hirot should take you no longer than four or five days, depending — depending on your pace, sirs and madam. And payment would be two thousand silver coins, split between you however you desire… paid upon your return with news of the village and Dolsten."
Relfarious the Shrewd
Feb 27, 2024 6:13 am
At the mention of silver and pay up front, Dufgal’s face evidences the slightest brightening. He immediately frowns knowing he failed to keep up his "dice face" as his father used to call it. The former-gongfarmer had been practicing for years to hide his reactions.
He promptly resumes his stone faced expression and endeavors to look around the room a bit.
He promptly resumes his stone faced expression and endeavors to look around the room a bit.
OOC:
Any chance there are any Thieves’ Tools laying around. Or anything that might tempt the practicing pickpocket?Feb 27, 2024 7:40 am
Silver. Ugh, the worst metal. Beloved of the moon is silver, and the moon is no friend of the ocean! In order to avoid polluting his mind, Aldric worked the sums in terms of gold instead. About the price of a horse for ten days' work was a start.
He bangs his oar against the floor boards three times.
"The terms are acceptable."
He bangs his oar against the floor boards three times.
"The terms are acceptable."
Feb 27, 2024 8:35 am
The one with no eyes has quite the mouth, while the other two say little at all… Anora thinks, finding herself quite taken with the odd trio.
"Quite the sum, Relfarious." Anora says evenly, and wonders if the others had pegged it yet. Decent coin and a wizard’s tome for a task that could be carried out by a well-trained pigeon.
Something was amiss, even if Relfarious didn’t know quite what it was yet…
"Quite the sum, Relfarious." Anora says evenly, and wonders if the others had pegged it yet. Decent coin and a wizard’s tome for a task that could be carried out by a well-trained pigeon.
Something was amiss, even if Relfarious didn’t know quite what it was yet…
Feb 27, 2024 1:52 pm
Harrigan says:
"Blind beggar, I’ve seen you about, but you have me at a disadvantage. You know my name... and even my voice, it seems!"Flyspeck shavings from flyspeck coins. Ty will need finer stuff to forestall the doom that pursues him. Still, this Hirot seems as remote as any place can be, and that suits the elf's purposes in its own way.
Last edited February 27, 2024 1:54 pm
Feb 27, 2024 7:20 pm
Relfarious the Shrewd
When Dufgal approaches to sign, or perhaps to just mark his ‘X’, the merchant appraises him with a critical eye. "Mm! You haven’t said a word, have you friend? Do you have a tongue? Do you follow the Bitch Queen’s salt water path as well?"
OOC:
Dufgal, this is the main trading room for the guild. It’s expansive and ornately decorated, at least for a frontier town. There are *many* pilferable items. The crystal flutes you were handed for the wine, book and baubles-laden shelves, oil lamps, a mantle over the fire that burns in the massive hearth that is lined with portraits, silvered mirrors, compasses, spyglasses and other brass accoutrements from naval and overland expeditions… a large wooden bin containing a pile of furs… a rack where a variety of second-hand weapons and tools are lined up, etc. If you’re looking for something in particular, make a Luck Check to see if it’s present, please. (Roll 1d20, hit your Luck or lower.) If you’re willing to grab whatever is closest at hand (either before or after signing), I’ll randomize what you manage to grab.In either case, you’ll need to make a DC 10 Pick Pocket roll. If you’re willing to take -whatever- — bump the die chain once and make that roll with 1d24 instead of the usual 1d20.
Feb 27, 2024 10:50 pm
Certainly, the light-fingered man had never put his signature on any document, nor did he even know how to spell his name. In fact, most of the time his father just called him Doof. He watched what the others did closely, then copied as best he could. Anyone looking closely would see that his signature started with an A. He quickly nodded to Relfarious as he spoke.
"methanks ye sir, fer this work. I’se workin’ hard for ye. I know nothin’ ‘bout no bitch, no queens, or no salty water but I’se likin’ master Aldric plenty enuff to follow by his side."
"methanks ye sir, fer this work. I’se workin’ hard for ye. I know nothin’ ‘bout no bitch, no queens, or no salty water but I’se likin’ master Aldric plenty enuff to follow by his side."
OOC:
I’m looking for a set of lock pick tools and I’ll make my attempt while Ty is signing because everyone in the room must be fascinated by a blind man signing a contract. OOC:
I’m worried what will happen if I get caught so I’ll burn LuckLast edited February 27, 2024 10:53 pm
Rolls
Luck check vs. 11 - (1d20)
(2) = 2
Pick pocket - (1d20+4)
(3) + 4 = 7
Luck Die: 1d3 - (1d3)
(1) = 1
Luck Die: 1d3 - (1d3)
(3) = 3
Feb 28, 2024 3:22 am
Anora takes the pen into her delicate hand and scribes her name on the paper with some flair. While a wizard’s apprentice might be lacking in the ways of magick, they became quite proficient in the art of the pen. Her knuckles had spent more time raw pink than anything else during her tutelage under her exacting master…
"And would you like me to scribe your own name?" she asks of the beggar. "So that it might be on the line, I mean. Ty, is that correct?"
"And would you like me to scribe your own name?" she asks of the beggar. "So that it might be on the line, I mean. Ty, is that correct?"
Feb 28, 2024 5:35 am
"Would a contract so signed be binding?" Ty demurs. "Best not to chance it." He drains his glass, transfers it to his off hand, then reaches out in the direction of Anora's voice. "Kindly guide my hand to the page, madam." Clearly he intends for the wizard to take his wrist and place him in a position to sign.
Feb 28, 2024 7:13 am
Quote:
"Excellent! Where you tread will be far from the Sea Hag’s watery domain, I’m sure you understand, but perhaps all this damp and wet conveys her influence. Now then! Sign here, each of you, and we will seal this arrangement!"Aldric strides toward the desk in a most pompous fashion, his squeaking leathers drowning out the effect somewhat. He takes the scroll in both hands, unperturbed that he is dripping water onto the contract. The Witness does a light read-through of the terms for anything untoward, and should it pass muster, places his mark upon it.
"As sure as salt water runs from the teats of Pelagia, so shall be our commitment to this cause."
Feb 28, 2024 9:30 pm
Aldric signs the document in two places after finding nothing objectionable in the contents of the indenture -- above and below the line where Senka, who frowns distastefully at the priest's comment, will cut the document in two with the shears she suddenly has to hand. Per the usual custom of the Guild, half of the agreement will remain within its halls, while the contracted party will carry their portion with them on their journey. The apprentice will cut the document in a jagged way that will make obvious the two halves fit together, and in fact were cut from the same parchment.
Dufgal steps forward to place ink next, and to prove to the guildmaster that he has a voice, such as it is. Relfarious's nod seems satisfied enough, and then Anora the Blue is placing her precise and rather beautiful signature. Will those looping lines one day become a sought-after autograph, proof of the grand sorceress's touch?
Time will tell.
Ty comes last, and just as Dufgal expected -- all eyes are on him, and on Anora as he requests the woman's assistance. This allows the big thief to edge close to a set of shelves that are laden with field equipment -- rope, grapples, spikes, sturdy boots, flints and tinderboxes... and a folding leather case that contains a delicate set of thieves' tools!
Dufgal steps forward to place ink next, and to prove to the guildmaster that he has a voice, such as it is. Relfarious's nod seems satisfied enough, and then Anora the Blue is placing her precise and rather beautiful signature. Will those looping lines one day become a sought-after autograph, proof of the grand sorceress's touch?
Time will tell.
Ty comes last, and just as Dufgal expected -- all eyes are on him, and on Anora as he requests the woman's assistance. This allows the big thief to edge close to a set of shelves that are laden with field equipment -- rope, grapples, spikes, sturdy boots, flints and tinderboxes... and a folding leather case that contains a delicate set of thieves' tools!
OOC:
Take it away Anora and Ty for the final signature!Feb 29, 2024 9:25 am
Anora takes the man’s hand into both of hers, and makes hard work of guiding his hand across to the paper. Hard work so that she might take the measure of the hand in hers, and judge them as a beggar’s hands or not. She had no reason to suspect otherwise, of course. It’s just that hands tell a story that is hard to hide.
"This way." the sorceress invites, moving them over to the parchment, satisfied with her momentary investigation. She finds the hands to be…
"This way." the sorceress invites, moving them over to the parchment, satisfied with her momentary investigation. She finds the hands to be…
OOC:
Thin? Boney? Rough? Pneumatic?Feb 29, 2024 6:02 pm
Ty's hand is grubby, as one would expect, but not rough or callused. The taper of his fingers suggests refinement rather than emaciation. Most striking is the firmness of his flesh, which stands strangely at odds with the man's white hair. There's no palsy in his grip, a point demonstrated when the beggar takes up Refarious' quill and signs the two letters of his name with grandiose flourishes, as if he were illuminating a manuscript. He's almost daring someone to call him on it.
"There we are," Ty huffs, satisfied. "Thank you, madam. Is that all of us signed?" He sets his empty glass on the table and peers through his blindfold at the middle distance between the room's occupants.
"There we are," Ty huffs, satisfied. "Thank you, madam. Is that all of us signed?" He sets his empty glass on the table and peers through his blindfold at the middle distance between the room's occupants.
Last edited February 29, 2024 6:04 pm
Mar 1, 2024 5:47 am
Relfarious the Shrewd
"Done!" the man declares warmly and boisterously. "And I shall be glad to hear your report and make payment once you've hurried back with what I pray is good -- or at least not dire-- news."
Senka
OOC:
Anything else you want to cover or establish here? If not we can skip to banter and final preparations at an inn, late in the evening... or move right to the morning of the next day when you're supposed to head out. We can discuss in the Discord.Mar 1, 2024 8:47 am
LATER THAT NIGHT AT THE SHIELD & SHEALTH
Senka had secured Ty, Anora, Dufgal and Aldric with their advance as she warned them of what lay ahead on the morrow.
The bridge is treacherous, and the the moors and woods are dangerous, filled with robbers and bloodthirsty brigands-- you'll need to keep a vigilant watch! she had said emphatically. And when she spoke of Hirot itself, her voice became a hoarse whisper, as though she was afraid the walls, or perhaps her master, would hear her.
Backwards folk they are. Not properly civilized, never were, even in their villages. Don't believe anything they tell you. Trust your eyes, not your ears.
Now, hours later, the foursome has retired to one of Garion Folly's many ale houses, a lodge with a warm fire and the mumur of patrons drinking and chatting before they turn in for the night...
Senka had secured Ty, Anora, Dufgal and Aldric with their advance as she warned them of what lay ahead on the morrow.
The bridge is treacherous, and the the moors and woods are dangerous, filled with robbers and bloodthirsty brigands-- you'll need to keep a vigilant watch! she had said emphatically. And when she spoke of Hirot itself, her voice became a hoarse whisper, as though she was afraid the walls, or perhaps her master, would hear her.
Backwards folk they are. Not properly civilized, never were, even in their villages. Don't believe anything they tell you. Trust your eyes, not your ears.
Now, hours later, the foursome has retired to one of Garion Folly's many ale houses, a lodge with a warm fire and the mumur of patrons drinking and chatting before they turn in for the night...
OOC:
Will let you four take it away for a bit. Place yourselves where you like, describe your surroundings as you will... good opportunity here for a bit of interplay and bonding as we discussed in the Discord.Mar 1, 2024 9:04 am
"Trust your eyes, and not your ears." the woman recounts to the others over the lip of her cup.
"That puts you at an unfortunate disadvantage." she says, brushing a hand against the beggar, to let him know she is referring to him.
"Well, shall we busy ourselves with the business of more serious introductions? How is it that you three fell in together? This isn’t your first outing, I trust!"
"That puts you at an unfortunate disadvantage." she says, brushing a hand against the beggar, to let him know she is referring to him.
"Well, shall we busy ourselves with the business of more serious introductions? How is it that you three fell in together? This isn’t your first outing, I trust!"
Mar 1, 2024 1:21 pm
"We are united in our love and devotion of The Lady of Waves! But the sea is nothing if not brutally honest, Anora the Blue," Aldric speaks in his wisest tone, as he fumbles with a bowl of salt. The colour of his fingers matched Anora's name, and they quivered as he tried to spoon the salt into his beer. "If you're trusting your eyes, then we are not much to look at, are we? But, heed the Bitch Queen's teachings: there's a lot going on beneath the surface."
He takes a swig, makes a disgusted look, and goes back to the bowl. Absentmindedly, he recalls Anora's inquiry.
"Ah yes, introductions. I am Aldric, Witness of Pelagia."
He waves the others to make their pleasantries as he heaps more salt into his beer.
He takes a swig, makes a disgusted look, and goes back to the bowl. Absentmindedly, he recalls Anora's inquiry.
"Ah yes, introductions. I am Aldric, Witness of Pelagia."
He waves the others to make their pleasantries as he heaps more salt into his beer.
Last edited March 1, 2024 3:50 pm
Mar 1, 2024 8:31 pm
OOC:
I’ll make this more available in a Judge Handouts sheet, but for now…[ +- ] AREA MAP
Mar 2, 2024 1:24 am
Dufgal, although not new to drink, had never been to a public house for ale so he watched the others very closely and just aped their orders and manner of payment. He had quite a hunger brewing so he found someone at another table eating what looked good to him and he told the barkeep that he wanted the same.
He relished his meal, but watched Anora in a bit of awed silence as she spoke with the other two. He couldn’t imagine that she would be addressing him.
He relished his meal, but watched Anora in a bit of awed silence as she spoke with the other two. He couldn’t imagine that she would be addressing him.
OOC:
He would have selected the middling meal, not the poor but not the good either. He ate loudly and sloppily as if he was fit for the poor meal though. Mar 2, 2024 2:50 am
Ty sits sideways in his chair. Another surprise: it turns out that what seemed to be a hunchback was in fact a backpack, worn beneath the fellow's ratty cloak. That pack now sags open on the ground between Tyravasiel-Llir's knees as his fingers flutter over the contents. To his store, the beggar-- if someone so supplied really qualifies-- has added an additional brace of dried travel rations and a leather flask filled with water, in preparation for the journey ahead.
"I shall manage somehow, madam," he assures the wizardess. "Never you mind." He seems a bit distracted in telling over his supplies. "As Father Aldric relates, we are simple pilgrims in service to blessed Pelgiana. We propose to consecrate a temple in her honor. Or so I am told."
"I shall manage somehow, madam," he assures the wizardess. "Never you mind." He seems a bit distracted in telling over his supplies. "As Father Aldric relates, we are simple pilgrims in service to blessed Pelgiana. We propose to consecrate a temple in her honor. Or so I am told."
Mar 2, 2024 4:10 am
"And this Pelagia, is she withholding the moisture from this one’s tongue?" she says, motioning to the man eating like a pig at a trough.
"Only he speaks so little that I imagine it must take quite the effort to form the words!"
Then she turns to him more fully, as he is face down in his bowl, and asks:
"And you share this fervency, you do?"
"Only he speaks so little that I imagine it must take quite the effort to form the words!"
Then she turns to him more fully, as he is face down in his bowl, and asks:
"And you share this fervency, you do?"
Mar 2, 2024 4:33 am
Dufgal looks at the mage in surprise, then looks behind him to see if someone might be standing there. Now certain she was speaking to him, he wrestled with the meaning of the word fervency so he stares blankly while thinking up a reply.
um, I’se thinkin’ much good of these men and their quest. If they asks us, I says yes.
He looks longingly at the glamorous woman for approval.
um, I’se thinkin’ much good of these men and their quest. If they asks us, I says yes.
He looks longingly at the glamorous woman for approval.
Last edited March 2, 2024 4:42 am
Mar 2, 2024 3:59 pm
OOC:
Continue your conversation, please, just figuring out the cost of your food and lodging. :)[ +- ] Shield & Sheath Prices
Poor Meal 4cp
Middling Meal 2sp
Good Meal 9sp
Dormitory Floor 3cp
Dirty and Rough Room 10cp/1sp
Clean but Spare Room 3sp
Clean and Comfortable Room 7sp
Rolls
The Shield & Sheath is kind of low (1), mid (2), or high (3) end - (1d3)
(2) = 2
Mar 2, 2024 6:45 pm
"Dufgal, my friend and faithful servant of the Mother of Storms, your unthinking devotion is exactly why Pelagia has entwined our destinies."
Aldric spoons a bit of salt into Dufgal's drink, too. A reward for his piety!
"Yes, I am going to build a temple to Her Moistness, on the very top of the highest mountain. From there, her fervent followers can expose our hairy arseholes in defiance toward the much-hated moon, and wait for the day that the temple becomes the last island in the world."
Such a grand statement of intent was sure to pacify Pelagia, if she happened to be listening, at least he hoped.
"I do not know if these two mortal men will see the entire venture through with me to the end. We are all but castaways adrift on the sea of fate, are we not? But for now, we all united in the endeavour to fatten our purses, our consciences aligned to ensure the clinking of coins. "
"And now you, Anora the Blue, are entwined with us. Contractually, but also spiritually - blue is Pelagia's blessed colour, after all. No doubt those who wove the tapestry of our fates took great pleasure in meeting our threads. I would be most interested to learn how you came by this name, and about your arcane craft."
✅ XP tallied
Aldric spoons a bit of salt into Dufgal's drink, too. A reward for his piety!
"Yes, I am going to build a temple to Her Moistness, on the very top of the highest mountain. From there, her fervent followers can expose our hairy arseholes in defiance toward the much-hated moon, and wait for the day that the temple becomes the last island in the world."
Such a grand statement of intent was sure to pacify Pelagia, if she happened to be listening, at least he hoped.
"I do not know if these two mortal men will see the entire venture through with me to the end. We are all but castaways adrift on the sea of fate, are we not? But for now, we all united in the endeavour to fatten our purses, our consciences aligned to ensure the clinking of coins. "
"And now you, Anora the Blue, are entwined with us. Contractually, but also spiritually - blue is Pelagia's blessed colour, after all. No doubt those who wove the tapestry of our fates took great pleasure in meeting our threads. I would be most interested to learn how you came by this name, and about your arcane craft."
OOC:
✅ Silver deducted for middling meal and dirty and rough room. ✅ XP tallied
Mar 2, 2024 9:17 pm
The cutpurse, now feeling tipsy from drink, feels the void within speak to him, "they are all laughing behind your back. they brought you to be the butt of their japes. "friend?" please! this cleric has no benevolence in him. all holy men are wicked. just wait and see."
Dufgal vigorously shakes his head side to side, pushes himself away from the table, and blurts out, just shut yer mouth right now!
He stands up, looks around at the onlookers who are likely watching him after that outburst.
Dufgal vigorously shakes his head side to side, pushes himself away from the table, and blurts out, just shut yer mouth right now!
He stands up, looks around at the onlookers who are likely watching him after that outburst.
OOC:
He tends to look for a fight to blow off steam when this happens. Anyone in the tavern looking at him funny?Mar 2, 2024 9:56 pm
Aldric is surprised by Dufgal's sudden outburst. "Well, here we go." He slumps his shield off of his back and begins to spit polish the metal rivets, trying not to make it obvious he will be ducking for cover at the first sign of trouble.
Mar 3, 2024 4:18 am
Dufgal's outburst draws eyes from all over the tavern when he shoves himself back from the table and lurches to his feet, nearly knocking into the busty, full-bodied barmaid delivering drinks to the table behind him. She gives a good-natured whoop and a wink as she deftly avoids the big man, but beyond that table, in the corner, a pock-faced man climbs to his unsteady feet.
Orfum is a head shorter and fully five stone lighter than Dufgal, but once tortured the younger boy when they were both living on the streets. The man is a bully and a pig with women, the tipsy thief knows, and the unwilling young bar wench that Orfum had pulled onto his lap makes her happy escape as the two square off.
"You... about crashed into Tanny there, y'oaf," Orfum slurs as he approaches. There has been bad blood between these men for years, and every so often it turns violent. As it looks to now. "What, you've got s'new friends so now's you's big man in here, th'it? Not on my watch, Dumbgal. Why don't you's and your friends fuck off, eh? Do they's even know what shit-for-brains y'got?"
Looking at everyone else at the table, the man adds, "Do you's all even know what shit-for-brains e's got?"
Orfum is usually backed up by two or three thugs who follow his lead for some inexplicable reason, but today, though he's too drunk to realize it... he's alone.
Anyway, if you're going to just start this, make the first attack. He's drunk and his AC is 8; consider this a surprise round if you choose to use it that way. If things erupt fully, I'll want Initiative rolls from each of you. (1d20 + Initiative Value)
Orfum
"You... about crashed into Tanny there, y'oaf," Orfum slurs as he approaches. There has been bad blood between these men for years, and every so often it turns violent. As it looks to now. "What, you've got s'new friends so now's you's big man in here, th'it? Not on my watch, Dumbgal. Why don't you's and your friends fuck off, eh? Do they's even know what shit-for-brains y'got?"
Looking at everyone else at the table, the man adds, "Do you's all even know what shit-for-brains e's got?"
Orfum is usually backed up by two or three thugs who follow his lead for some inexplicable reason, but today, though he's too drunk to realize it... he's alone.
OOC:
See that 1d20+0 roll? That's why I don't like automation in the GP sheets. People build 'em wrong, they get rolled incorrectly, etc. :)Anyway, if you're going to just start this, make the first attack. He's drunk and his AC is 8; consider this a surprise round if you choose to use it that way. If things erupt fully, I'll want Initiative rolls from each of you. (1d20 + Initiative Value)
Mar 3, 2024 6:48 am
Ty lifts his head, then wrinkles his nose as if he's smelled something rancid.
"Eh, who's that now? Is he ugly? He sounds ugly."
"Eh, who's that now? Is he ugly? He sounds ugly."
Mar 3, 2024 7:09 am
"Nothing as fanciful as what you’re surely imagining." the wizard responds to the cleric, with a humble expression on her face.
"My own mentor was something of a traditionalist, you see. Magick, and therefore the wizards that practice it, should have a color." she continues, wondering if all this was lost on the regular folk.
"Igorius the Black. Hippopa the Red, and what have you. My mentor was a Blue, as you can probably imagine. And his mentor before him, and so on. And so, here I am: Anora the Blue." she says, throwing her hands up, and then the scene erupts and stops the conversation.
"Trust your ears, so as to spare your eyes." Anora says to the beggar. She has magicks enough to deal with a fool like this, but men had their own way of doing things…
"My own mentor was something of a traditionalist, you see. Magick, and therefore the wizards that practice it, should have a color." she continues, wondering if all this was lost on the regular folk.
"Igorius the Black. Hippopa the Red, and what have you. My mentor was a Blue, as you can probably imagine. And his mentor before him, and so on. And so, here I am: Anora the Blue." she says, throwing her hands up, and then the scene erupts and stops the conversation.
"Trust your ears, so as to spare your eyes." Anora says to the beggar. She has magicks enough to deal with a fool like this, but men had their own way of doing things…
Mar 3, 2024 7:42 am
Dufgal squares off toe to toe with his childhood bully, although anyone just seeing this fight might think him the bully, and aims for the single knockout punch. His father taught him that the neck snaps a certain way when punched and easily causes a "temporary death" as he called it.
OOC:
Subdual damage only.Last edited March 3, 2024 7:43 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Strength - (1d20+1)
(14) + 1 = 15
Dufgal: punching dmg - (1d4+1)
(1) + 1 = 2
Orfum
Mar 3, 2024 8:07 pm
Orfum
"Ohhh! Right then, y'fuggin oaf! Now you's done it!"
OOC:
Anyone getting involved, please make an initiative check.Rolls
Orfum's Initiative (-1d for being drunk) - (1d16+0)
(14) = 14
Mar 3, 2024 8:23 pm
OOC:
It may just be me 🤷🏻♂️Last edited March 3, 2024 8:25 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: initiative - (1d20+1)
(12) + 1 = 13
Mar 4, 2024 2:26 am
"What fool would take on a Chosen of Pelagia in an ale house?" Aldric remarks as he remains seated behind his shield. He has every confidence that Dufgal can handle this loud-mouthed lout!
Mar 4, 2024 3:05 am
"Is your man prone to hotness of the blood?" Anora asks, as she watches the melee go on from her place at the table.
She picks up her food and drink, clutching them a little closer so that she might stabilize them, should the man be sent this way next.
She picks up her food and drink, clutching them a little closer so that she might stabilize them, should the man be sent this way next.
Mar 4, 2024 4:56 am
Orfum
"Stop that you two!" the man behind the bar bellows. "You'll be payin' for any damages! Settle your differences outside!"
Maresa, the short, freckled waitress who escaped from Orfum's clutches as this all started, is suddenly at Dufgal's side, encouraging him.
"Get him, Duffie! Get him good!"
OOC:
That's a miss. Dufgal's up! Still AC 8 as a target. if you hit and do two or more damage, describe how you lay this poor sod out!Rolls
Orfum's Drunken Swing (-1d, vs. AC 12) - (1d16)
(3) = 3
Mar 4, 2024 5:48 am
KCC says:
"Is your man prone to hotness of the blood?" Anora asks, as she watches the melee go on from her place at the table.Quote:
"Stop that you two!" the man behind the bar bellows. "You'll be payin' for any damages! Settle your differences outside!"Last edited March 4, 2024 5:49 am
Mar 4, 2024 8:37 am
Dufgal hears the voice of the tavernmaster and winces, forgetting his weighty purse. He fears poverty more than brutality, so he changes up his timing to throw off his opponent’s defense.After missing the punch, he shouts to Orfum,
outside, then!
And then starts for the door.
OOC:
Apparently it threw off his ownoutside, then!
And then starts for the door.
Last edited March 4, 2024 8:41 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Fist - Roll - (1d20+1)
(4) + 1 = 5
Mar 4, 2024 5:31 pm
Orfum ducks his opponent’s next ham-fisted blow — he is perhaps not so drunk as he first seemed — and then nods when Dufgal heeds the barkeep and moves to take the fight out-of-doors. But when the big man’s back is turned, the weasel-faced hoodlum grabs a stein of ale from a surprised onlooker and runs after Dufgal, intending to smash it on the back of the man’s head!
"Have one for the road y’giant twat!" the man roars, smashing the ceramic mug on the back of Dufgal’s head, badly slicing open his scalp!
Orfum
OOC:
Round 1 ends with Dufgal missing and then turning to head outside. Round 2 begins (we keep the initiative order we have) with Orfum’s sneak attack! 4 damage dealt! Your move next, Dufgal, and anyone wanting to intervene should roll Initiative after that.Rolls
Orfum attacks with an improvised weapon (-1d drunk, +1d surprise, vs. AC 12) - (1d20)
(15) = 15
Mug Damage (as club) - (1d4)
(4) = 4
Mar 4, 2024 6:00 pm
Frustrated that he didn’t see the improvisation coming, Dufgal takes out his dagger as soon as he gets outside. He puts his left hand on his wound and then whirls around with his dagger in his right hand and thrusts it into Orfum’s gut before anyone else follows to watch. Everyone saw the bloody sneak attack inside so this will just be the unfortunate outcome of a bar fight that went too far.
He twists the blade to emphasize the mortal wound. He feels his longtime foe’s body go limp and he lets it drop to the ground.
Dufgal had been considering leaving his home town for good and making his way in the world abroad. This might just seal that fate.
As the onlookers begin pouring out of the tavern, he just stands there glaring, daring, with his blood on one hand and Orfum’s on the other.
who’s gonna run tell his pa?
He twists the blade to emphasize the mortal wound. He feels his longtime foe’s body go limp and he lets it drop to the ground.
Dufgal had been considering leaving his home town for good and making his way in the world abroad. This might just seal that fate.
As the onlookers begin pouring out of the tavern, he just stands there glaring, daring, with his blood on one hand and Orfum’s on the other.
who’s gonna run tell his pa?
Last edited March 4, 2024 6:08 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Dagger* - Roll - (1d20+1)
(16) + 1 = 17
Dufgal: Dagger* - Damage - (1d4+1)
(3) + 1 = 4
Mar 4, 2024 6:40 pm
As the storm of punches and shattered glassware commences, then blows out through the doors, Ty swivels his head from side to side as if trying to track the melee by sound alone.
"Is there fighting? Are people fighting?" he cries, to no one in particular.
Like weasels in a box, the elf thinks. These humans can't help themselves. It's a wonder the whole species hasn't murdered one another by now. Kingdoms upon kingdoms of bones and rotting corpses.
The mental image threatens to put Tyravasiel off of his meal. But it is a rather nice meal, as human food goes, and came at commensurate expense to himself of flyspeck coin-shavings. No point in wasting it now that the weasels are wrestling in the street. Ty turns to his trencher and starts into the sauced beef he's ordered with precise and dainty cuts. He pops each piece into his mouth and chews with a smile of mild acceptance curled below his blindfold.
"Is there fighting? Are people fighting?" he cries, to no one in particular.
Like weasels in a box, the elf thinks. These humans can't help themselves. It's a wonder the whole species hasn't murdered one another by now. Kingdoms upon kingdoms of bones and rotting corpses.
The mental image threatens to put Tyravasiel off of his meal. But it is a rather nice meal, as human food goes, and came at commensurate expense to himself of flyspeck coin-shavings. No point in wasting it now that the weasels are wrestling in the street. Ty turns to his trencher and starts into the sauced beef he's ordered with precise and dainty cuts. He pops each piece into his mouth and chews with a smile of mild acceptance curled below his blindfold.
Mar 5, 2024 1:49 am
Aldric is relieved the fight has left his immediate vicinity. He puts his shield aside and continues his sparse meal, mostly filling up on the do-it-yourself brine beer.
"Yes, yes," he replies to his elven associate, mildly irritated at keeping appearances of blindness. He wondered if they'd be able to keep that up in front of Anora. Magic users were, by reputation, quite adept at snuffing these kinds of falsehoods out.
"Dufgal is gutting his old friend as we speak. Umm, best finish our meals quick. We might have to make a hasty exit if the town doesn't take lightly to stabbing their loudmouth assholes."
He shovels down the rest of his meal and hastily chugs his beer.
Quote:
"Is there fighting? Are people fighting?" he cries, to no one in particular."Dufgal is gutting his old friend as we speak. Umm, best finish our meals quick. We might have to make a hasty exit if the town doesn't take lightly to stabbing their loudmouth assholes."
He shovels down the rest of his meal and hastily chugs his beer.
Mar 5, 2024 7:14 am
"Perhaps we ought to cut that one loose. You aren’t terrible close, are you? The man has signed his name to paper, attesting to where he plans to be next. Trouble is sure to follow. Legal or otherwise…" the mage offers to the other two, as her face twists into something like distaste.
Last edited March 5, 2024 7:24 am
Mar 5, 2024 7:51 am
The trio at the table do hear the yowl of the smaller man as Dufgal guts him on the doorstep of the inn; seconds after that people are flowing outside, gasping and exclaiming at the bloody scene that they find. Orfum lies still, bleeding from a deep belly wound that will surely kill him if it hasn't already. Dufgal, for his part, is looking in shock at the blood that is literally on his hands.
"Someone call the Guard!" a voice calls out. "He murdered him! Orfum is dead!"
Maresa, the plump, ruddy-faced barmaid who egged Dufgal on, and who has the freckled, slightly lop-sided breasts that catch a lot of attention in the tavern, pushes through the gathering crowd to reach the man she evidently sees as her defender. "No one, Duffie, no one's gonna tell Grag Morgrun what happened! You was just defendin' yourself, right?"
"Bollocks!" calls an old, toothless man. "This was a killin'! We need the guard, and an Arbiter!"
Arguments break out as people point and shout about what they saw and heard, about whether it was Orfun who had the knife, about how he started it, about how Dulgal finished it and would hang for it.
It's not a calm scene.
"Someone call the Guard!" a voice calls out. "He murdered him! Orfum is dead!"
Maresa
"Bollocks!" calls an old, toothless man. "This was a killin'! We need the guard, and an Arbiter!"
Arguments break out as people point and shout about what they saw and heard, about whether it was Orfun who had the knife, about how he started it, about how Dulgal finished it and would hang for it.
It's not a calm scene.
OOC:
Grag Morgrun, Orfum's father, is not a good guy. In fact, he runs the biggest gang of thugs and thieves in town! The Arbiters are priests from the Church of Justicia, and big time proclaimers of harsh punishments for those who break the kingdom's -- and the church's -- laws.Mar 5, 2024 3:29 pm
Since it definitely is his dagger and he knows the truth of what happened, and he knows Grag has never admitted that his boy was a bully, Dufgal runs into the night. He figures that he has better chances with garbage dogs than with the justice in this town.
OOC:
His plan, since he knows the route that his new crew will take, is to follow and join them a mile or two out of town. He will hide until then. Mar 5, 2024 7:48 pm
OOC:
That’s one way to handle it! I’ll ask in the Discord if our preoccupied trio has any plans to get involved, then we’ll go from there. Stand by!Mar 6, 2024 2:51 am
"Oh, I don't know," Ty muses, around a morsel of meat. He washes it down with a swig of really quite terrible wine, which makes him wince a bit as he swallows. "Look how well he draws attention away from the rest of us? Why, we could rob these yokels as blind as I am, if they had anything of value. A fellow like that has his uses."
The cry of murder from out of doors has not appreciably changed the beggar's expression or his leisurely dining.
The cry of murder from out of doors has not appreciably changed the beggar's expression or his leisurely dining.
Mar 6, 2024 3:10 am
"I absolutely agree, Ty," Aldric says between swigs. "We're counting on him to do violence, after all. This just solidifies his credentials in my mind! Anyone can do violence to a stranger; it takes a special man to murder his neighbour."
Mar 6, 2024 8:33 am
There's quite a commotion for some time at the Shield & Shealth, but by the time the town guards arrive, Gernd the proprietor more or less has the situation under control. Sure enough, Orfun is dead, and is now partly covered with a ratty old blanket. Dufgal is long gone, fled into the night and on the run from the Guard Captain's searching men, while the patrons of the inn gradually get back to the business of eating and drinking. The mess is cleaned up and wild-haired Gernd indicates as he tallies the bill that some additional charges will be levied on "Dufgal's companions," to cover his costs.
The Guard Captain, a barrel chested man with a drooping mustache and a shirt of metal scales whereas most of his men were clad in heavy leather gambesons, questions many witnesses, employees and customers alike. When the trio that Dufgal left behind explain that he was merely a hireling, and that they had no idea he was a homicidal maniac, Captain Gulwort regards them for a long moment...
Dufgal: please make three rolls to evade pursuit for the whole night: Sneak Silently, Hide in Shadows, and Climb Sheer Surfaces; DC of 12 for each. Succeed three times and you're completely free and clear... for each failure, I'll devise a little table for you to roll on -- it'll involve getting scuffed up (losing a couple of HP), losing some gear, Stamina damage as you're up all night on the run, having to pay someone off, etc.
Anora, Aldric or Ty -- one of you please make a Personality roll to see if you can be convincing in your story. It's pretty much true, so this is DC 5 in terms of difficulty. Discuss in the Discord if necessary who will roll, then toss that die! (1d20 + PER modifier.)
Also, you'll need to cover an additional 15sp between you to cover the damages to the dining room and ruined meals.
The Guard Captain, a barrel chested man with a drooping mustache and a shirt of metal scales whereas most of his men were clad in heavy leather gambesons, questions many witnesses, employees and customers alike. When the trio that Dufgal left behind explain that he was merely a hireling, and that they had no idea he was a homicidal maniac, Captain Gulwort regards them for a long moment...
OOC:
Forgive me for fast-forwarding a little here. I need two rolls to help with the proceedings:Dufgal: please make three rolls to evade pursuit for the whole night: Sneak Silently, Hide in Shadows, and Climb Sheer Surfaces; DC of 12 for each. Succeed three times and you're completely free and clear... for each failure, I'll devise a little table for you to roll on -- it'll involve getting scuffed up (losing a couple of HP), losing some gear, Stamina damage as you're up all night on the run, having to pay someone off, etc.
Anora, Aldric or Ty -- one of you please make a Personality roll to see if you can be convincing in your story. It's pretty much true, so this is DC 5 in terms of difficulty. Discuss in the Discord if necessary who will roll, then toss that die! (1d20 + PER modifier.)
Also, you'll need to cover an additional 15sp between you to cover the damages to the dining room and ruined meals.
Mar 6, 2024 12:16 pm
"Well, if you’re both so taken with the man, and willing to throw your lot in with his, then you surely won’t mind covering the charges levied against him." she starts, not intending to spend a single coin of hers covering for the man’s bizarre outburst.
As for the guard captain, once again Anora was tempted to use her magicks. No… Better not give them another reason to suspect the group.
She simply explains to the man as best she can…
As for the guard captain, once again Anora was tempted to use her magicks. No… Better not give them another reason to suspect the group.
She simply explains to the man as best she can…
Rolls
Why do I have a bad feeling it’s a 1? - (1d20+1)
(10) + 1 = 11
Mar 6, 2024 3:06 pm
Knowing well the town’s shadows, the fugitive runs first and fast to the cemetery behind the rundown church building. He figured that people were unlikely to peer too deeply into the darkness there.
He waits there until his heartbeat comes under control. At least in his chest. He could still feel the pulsing sensation from his scalp wound. "I’se gotta keep movin’"
Then he begins the most intense challenge for his size, running swiftly without cracking any twigs or kicking over any rocks as he went. He meant to get far out of town and off the main road.
Once into the woods, he decided that his only chance at rest was to fashion a makeshift nest in a tree. He dragged a few extra pine branches up with him and achieved enough secure comfort that he fell into a deep sleep. The first sunlight warmed and waked him. He did it. He was undiscovered… for now. He slid down and devoured two rations. He took his bearings by the sunrise and headed to meet the others.
I’ll burn more luck. 3 points total.
That means the Hiding at the cemetery failed but the other two succeeded.
He waits there until his heartbeat comes under control. At least in his chest. He could still feel the pulsing sensation from his scalp wound. "I’se gotta keep movin’"
Then he begins the most intense challenge for his size, running swiftly without cracking any twigs or kicking over any rocks as he went. He meant to get far out of town and off the main road.
Once into the woods, he decided that his only chance at rest was to fashion a makeshift nest in a tree. He dragged a few extra pine branches up with him and achieved enough secure comfort that he fell into a deep sleep. The first sunlight warmed and waked him. He did it. He was undiscovered… for now. He slid down and devoured two rations. He took his bearings by the sunrise and headed to meet the others.
OOC:
Omfgs, these rolls!I’ll burn more luck. 3 points total.
That means the Hiding at the cemetery failed but the other two succeeded.
Last edited March 6, 2024 3:24 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Hide in shadows (Agil) - (1d20+3)
(3) + 3 = 6
Dufgal: Sneak silently (Agil) - (1d20+5)
(6) + 5 = 11
Dufgal: Climb sheer surfaces (Agil) - (1d20+5)
(3) + 5 = 8
Luckburn - (3d3)
(313) = 7
Mar 7, 2024 12:08 am
Quote:
"Well, if you’re both so taken with the man, and willing to throw your lot in with his, then you surely won’t mind covering the charges levied against him." she starts, not intending to spend a single coin of hers covering for the man’s bizarre outburst.Surprisingly, Aldric shuts up when the authorities come to talk with them, letting Anora do the talking. She seems like a people person. So long as she doesn't try to off-load any responsibility for Dufgal's actions on to Ty and himself, he only speaks when directly asked questions.
Mar 7, 2024 3:48 am
THE SHIELD & SHEALTH
Gernd delivers the news about what's owed, along with a bowl to place the silver in, then Captain Gulwort arrives and listens to Anora's explanation of the group's connection with Dufgal, now a hunted man. He nods quick enough, as reckons the strangers likely didn't know about the boy's flawed nature before they decided to employ him. The long-faced Guard Captain moves off, satisfied, and as he does the barmaid Maresa sidles up to the table to collect the payment.
"Say," she says furtively, her eyes on the watchmen roving the room, "if you's happen to run across you-know-who, thank him for me, will yous? Right brave of him, protectin' my honor."
Then, one of the girl's hands is cupping her right breast, the big, full one with the smattering of freckles that disappear into the depths of her cleavage. She gives it a jiggle and a shake, saying, "Tell him he gets a free squeezy or two next time he's here, when the coast is clear 'an all that? Okay?"
Straightening up, she looks into the bowl and frowns. "Supposed to be fifteen silver coins I think. That's what Gerndy told me..."
Gernd delivers the news about what's owed, along with a bowl to place the silver in, then Captain Gulwort arrives and listens to Anora's explanation of the group's connection with Dufgal, now a hunted man. He nods quick enough, as reckons the strangers likely didn't know about the boy's flawed nature before they decided to employ him. The long-faced Guard Captain moves off, satisfied, and as he does the barmaid Maresa sidles up to the table to collect the payment.
Maresa
Then, one of the girl's hands is cupping her right breast, the big, full one with the smattering of freckles that disappear into the depths of her cleavage. She gives it a jiggle and a shake, saying, "Tell him he gets a free squeezy or two next time he's here, when the coast is clear 'an all that? Okay?"
Straightening up, she looks into the bowl and frowns. "Supposed to be fifteen silver coins I think. That's what Gerndy told me..."
OOC:
So who is paying? Feel free to RP that out, and any reactions here, or just tell me via OOC and we'll see the three of you in the morning.Mar 7, 2024 5:02 am
"Perhaps when you see him next, you can squeeze each other." Anora announces with a wrinkle of the nose.
"He your bosom, and you for his coin. The captain seems satisfied that the man isn’t ours. I’m afraid Grendy will have to satisfied with the same." she says with a nod, considering her piece on the matter said.
"He your bosom, and you for his coin. The captain seems satisfied that the man isn’t ours. I’m afraid Grendy will have to satisfied with the same." she says with a nod, considering her piece on the matter said.
Mar 7, 2024 5:27 am
"I... believe I heard the other fellow knock over a table, is that right? Then crack a beer mug across the back of our man's head?" To hell with it. "And your master wants fifteen silver coins for such a little mess?"
Tyravasiel-Llir roots about in his purse, produces a single silver disc, and drops it into the bowl with a merry chime.
"Tell him he gets one, madam. And if he doesn't like it, then I'll have back the three that I've already paid him for my room tonight. And I'll be speaking to my associate Relfarious of the Muckmire Mechants' Guild about how the Shield and Sheath conducts its business. Shaking down travelers could give this village a reputation for poor trade."
Tyravasiel-Llir roots about in his purse, produces a single silver disc, and drops it into the bowl with a merry chime.
"Tell him he gets one, madam. And if he doesn't like it, then I'll have back the three that I've already paid him for my room tonight. And I'll be speaking to my associate Relfarious of the Muckmire Mechants' Guild about how the Shield and Sheath conducts its business. Shaking down travelers could give this village a reputation for poor trade."
Mar 7, 2024 5:30 am
Aldric gives Anora a knowing look, as if to say "Now you're getting it."
He plunks a single silver coin in the buxom barmaid's bowl as per Ty's bargain. "Now that that's settled, we shall be off!" He gently brushes her aside and makes his way out.
He plunks a single silver coin in the buxom barmaid's bowl as per Ty's bargain. "Now that that's settled, we shall be off!" He gently brushes her aside and makes his way out.
Last edited March 7, 2024 5:33 am
Mar 7, 2024 6:56 am
THE NEXT MORNING...
After bidding the curvy barmaid good eve!, the trio of Anora, Aldric, and Ty had made their final preparations, retired to their rooms and gotten some rest. Gernd made noises as they exited about adding the remainder of the required payment to their ledgers -- to be paid in the future -- but with the Guard Captain's dismissal of their involvement, the innkeeper really didn't have much of an argument to make.
Dufgal's night, by contrast, was spent out of doors, on the run, skulking and climbing and hiding. Watchmen searched high and low, and once Grag Morgrun got wind that another one of his twenty-some bastard sons had been knifed to death -- well, the big rogue had be be doubly careful to not get spotted. Those men wouldn't be dragging him to the Justiciar's gaol, but rather his limp corpse into the mire.
1. The poor lad is now covered in vermin bites, and they're infected or summin'. Rats, three-inch long albino earwigs, big red and yellow centipedes -- they didn't like having their cool and dark home invaded by the thief. Make a STA check at DC 10 each morning. Until you pass, you have an itchy, painful rash and swelling that will deal 1 point of STA damage each time you fail. (And while infected, you cannot heal STA damage. You can die from this.)
2. Someone saw you -- a street urchin that frequently acts as eyes and ears for Morgrun. You had to pay 1d7 silvers to keep the kid quiet. Who was it?
3. You thought you had this great hiding spot, but inside the church an unkindness of ravens perched on top of the rusted old cages making up what used to be a rookery. Dead silent, the big black birds all looked at you with tilted heads and unblinking eyes until you got unnerved and left! Not a good omen. Lower your luck by 1, please.
Also, stand by -- another post coming momentarily to gather you all together...
After bidding the curvy barmaid good eve!, the trio of Anora, Aldric, and Ty had made their final preparations, retired to their rooms and gotten some rest. Gernd made noises as they exited about adding the remainder of the required payment to their ledgers -- to be paid in the future -- but with the Guard Captain's dismissal of their involvement, the innkeeper really didn't have much of an argument to make.
Dufgal's night, by contrast, was spent out of doors, on the run, skulking and climbing and hiding. Watchmen searched high and low, and once Grag Morgrun got wind that another one of his twenty-some bastard sons had been knifed to death -- well, the big rogue had be be doubly careful to not get spotted. Those men wouldn't be dragging him to the Justiciar's gaol, but rather his limp corpse into the mire.
OOC:
For Dufgal's failure to hide in the old church, let's randomize...1. The poor lad is now covered in vermin bites, and they're infected or summin'. Rats, three-inch long albino earwigs, big red and yellow centipedes -- they didn't like having their cool and dark home invaded by the thief. Make a STA check at DC 10 each morning. Until you pass, you have an itchy, painful rash and swelling that will deal 1 point of STA damage each time you fail. (And while infected, you cannot heal STA damage. You can die from this.)
2. Someone saw you -- a street urchin that frequently acts as eyes and ears for Morgrun. You had to pay 1d7 silvers to keep the kid quiet. Who was it?
3. You thought you had this great hiding spot, but inside the church an unkindness of ravens perched on top of the rusted old cages making up what used to be a rookery. Dead silent, the big black birds all looked at you with tilted heads and unblinking eyes until you got unnerved and left! Not a good omen. Lower your luck by 1, please.
Also, stand by -- another post coming momentarily to gather you all together...
Rolls
What befell Dufgal? - (1d3)
(2) = 2
Mar 7, 2024 7:18 am
WEST OF GARION'S FOLLY, NEAR THE OLD STONE CAUSEWAY (ALL)
The troupe had woken to grey skies, but at least the rain had stopped. Breakfast* at the Sheath was quick and the trio passed through the Mire Gate not long after dawn. To say that Muckmire Fen, the brown quagmire which confronted the adventurers almost immediately upon their exit from the walled town, was busy would be an exaggeration but neither was the swamp quiet. Eel hunters were already out on their punts; people fished from the banks of the fen where the waters were almost clear, and lithe-limbed frog-catchers combed the reeds and rushes surrounding the body of mucky water.
Across that stinking fen stretched a crumbling stone causeway, an extension of the Old King's Road that spanned the entirety of the mire at its narrowest point, some hundred paces or more. Beyond that -- well, there were mists and fog on the other side of the Muckmire, but the group could still see that the far shoreline was lined with dark pines. Beyond, the shadows of a dramatic mountain range rose in the distance.
See the map in the Judge Handouts, below... you're just west of Garion's Folly, about to cross the stone causeway / bridge if that's the way you're planning to go. That structure is not terribly high -- it's an elevated road / bridge of stone with big earthen footings, but from the side of the causeway to the water/muck is probably no more than ten feet.
Questions?
Dufgal, you are cleared to rejoin the party! Also, subtract 1d7 silvers for your troubles last night and tell me who saw you.
The troupe had woken to grey skies, but at least the rain had stopped. Breakfast* at the Sheath was quick and the trio passed through the Mire Gate not long after dawn. To say that Muckmire Fen, the brown quagmire which confronted the adventurers almost immediately upon their exit from the walled town, was busy would be an exaggeration but neither was the swamp quiet. Eel hunters were already out on their punts; people fished from the banks of the fen where the waters were almost clear, and lithe-limbed frog-catchers combed the reeds and rushes surrounding the body of mucky water.
Across that stinking fen stretched a crumbling stone causeway, an extension of the Old King's Road that spanned the entirety of the mire at its narrowest point, some hundred paces or more. Beyond that -- well, there were mists and fog on the other side of the Muckmire, but the group could still see that the far shoreline was lined with dark pines. Beyond, the shadows of a dramatic mountain range rose in the distance.
OOC:
* -- that's 3cp (Poor), 1sp (Middling), or 6sp (Good) for breakfast, please. If you're cheap, you could also start your day's Rations. (Those are 5cp per day, though as you might imagine they are not terribly tasty or nutritious.)See the map in the Judge Handouts, below... you're just west of Garion's Folly, about to cross the stone causeway / bridge if that's the way you're planning to go. That structure is not terribly high -- it's an elevated road / bridge of stone with big earthen footings, but from the side of the causeway to the water/muck is probably no more than ten feet.
Questions?
Dufgal, you are cleared to rejoin the party! Also, subtract 1d7 silvers for your troubles last night and tell me who saw you.
Mar 7, 2024 3:37 pm
At first, Dufgal thought he could hide and rest in the church, but ravens, rats, albino earwigs, and centipedes all had laid their claim. It was their territory and he was not willing to close his eyes for a minute with the way these creatures creeped toward him as he sat.
So he made his way back out into the night. He was vigilant about not getting caught by the lumbering idiots on the guard, but he did not expect to nearly step on Vari, a young street urchin that collected gossip for Grag Morgrun. Under the loose clothes and dirt, Dufgal was never quite sure if Vari was a girl or a boy, but the twinkle in their eyes was a certainty that being seen while on the lamb was worth silver. He quickly put his right finger to his lips and his left fingers into his coin purse. He counted out the coins until the smile on Vari’s face was big enough. Then he ran for the woods, possibly to never return.
So he made his way back out into the night. He was vigilant about not getting caught by the lumbering idiots on the guard, but he did not expect to nearly step on Vari, a young street urchin that collected gossip for Grag Morgrun. Under the loose clothes and dirt, Dufgal was never quite sure if Vari was a girl or a boy, but the twinkle in their eyes was a certainty that being seen while on the lamb was worth silver. He quickly put his right finger to his lips and his left fingers into his coin purse. He counted out the coins until the smile on Vari’s face was big enough. Then he ran for the woods, possibly to never return.
Last edited March 7, 2024 3:39 pm
Rolls
Payoff - (1d7)
(5) = 5
Mar 7, 2024 8:42 pm
Tyravasiel-Llir has shouldered his pack beneath his threadbare cloak. Once more he looks the hunchback, although he does not walk like one. Indeed, there's a spring in his step as he departs the village, and his leather-wrapped cane dangles from his grasp rather than tapping along before him. On the bridge, he breathes deep of the mire-scented air.
"So glad to be out of that burg, with its boobs of all conceivable sorts," he announces. "Speaking of, do you suppose Dufgal survived the night?" Ty surveys the swamp through his blindfold, paying particular attention to the fishing punts. "I should have tried the eels rather than the beef. There's something to be said for fresh-caught eels."
"So glad to be out of that burg, with its boobs of all conceivable sorts," he announces. "Speaking of, do you suppose Dufgal survived the night?" Ty surveys the swamp through his blindfold, paying particular attention to the fishing punts. "I should have tried the eels rather than the beef. There's something to be said for fresh-caught eels."
OOC:
Oh right. I deducted silver for a middling breakfast.Last edited March 8, 2024 5:04 am
Mar 8, 2024 1:02 am
Anora scrunches up her face at the man’s mention of eating eels so early in the morning. The could barely stomach them at the best of times.
"I suppose they would have paraded him through the streets at first light, had they caught him. They do seem the type, do they not?" she says, sharing Ty’s pleasure at being away. Save for the coin and the promised tome, Anora had little love for being this far out.
She pulls her blue robes up an inch, to keep them from flitting about in the wet underfoot.
"Let us get to sturdier ground, if such a thing exists."
"I suppose they would have paraded him through the streets at first light, had they caught him. They do seem the type, do they not?" she says, sharing Ty’s pleasure at being away. Save for the coin and the promised tome, Anora had little love for being this far out.
She pulls her blue robes up an inch, to keep them from flitting about in the wet underfoot.
"Let us get to sturdier ground, if such a thing exists."
Last edited March 8, 2024 1:02 am
Mar 8, 2024 2:30 am
Aldric's constitution is being sorely pushed as the party hikes along the King's Road to Hirot, leaning heavily on the broken oar. He is still recovering from having his lungs filled with sea water, and is perpetually winded. However, he is fueled by his intense fear of faith in Pelagia, and finds the strength to keep up.
"I have every confidence in Pelagia... who will wash fair Dufgal up upon our shores... whenever she wills it."
He takes a moment on the bridge to wipe the sweat from his brow.
"Boobs? My dear Ty, your capacity for hearing is so great that you can hear the sway and heave of bossoms! Truly a remarkable human being."
"I have every confidence in Pelagia... who will wash fair Dufgal up upon our shores... whenever she wills it."
He takes a moment on the bridge to wipe the sweat from his brow.
"Boobs? My dear Ty, your capacity for hearing is so great that you can hear the sway and heave of bossoms! Truly a remarkable human being."
OOC:
Middling meal all the way.Mar 8, 2024 3:03 am
"Perhaps you could beseech your Pelagia to cease her clawing at the hem of my robes?" Anora asks, with some scorn.
"Might she be the patron of tailors and washerwomen, so that they might make a coin at my expense?"
"Might she be the patron of tailors and washerwomen, so that they might make a coin at my expense?"
Mar 8, 2024 5:21 am
As the trio walks and converses, the walls and the few tall wooden buildings of Garion's Folly gradually diminish in size behind them. In short order, they make their way onto the old bridge, stepping carefully around the fissures and cracks that mar what once must have been an impressive structure. Cold, wet muck surrounds them on both sides as they strike across the fen, assaulted by the sounds of buzzing flies, croaking bullfrogs, peeping peepers, cheeping birds and things splashing in the deeper pools of lily pad and algae-covered water.
They are not a third of the way across when the causeway's condition worsens, lashed and broken down by wind and rain, and by time. The three journeyers keep to the safest, surest path on the ten foot wide modestly elevated road -- and this causes them to go left and then right, to avoid sections that look ready to fully collapse, to hop or crawl over other portions that already have.
Also, probably pretty difficult to pretend you're blind at this stage.
They are not a third of the way across when the causeway's condition worsens, lashed and broken down by wind and rain, and by time. The three journeyers keep to the safest, surest path on the ten foot wide modestly elevated road -- and this causes them to go left and then right, to avoid sections that look ready to fully collapse, to hop or crawl over other portions that already have.
OOC:
Pausing here just to ask -- continuing forward in this manner, or is there some other (safer, or faster / riskier) approach you'd rather take?Also, probably pretty difficult to pretend you're blind at this stage.
Mar 8, 2024 6:23 am
Quote:
Perhaps you could beseech your Pelagia to cease her clawing at the hem of my robes?" Anora asks, with some scorn. [ +- ]
Mar 8, 2024 10:07 am
Anora ignores the man’s weak, raspy response, as she precariously crosses the stone work.
"The ruffian-kings you find in the cities very often improve the conditions of the very worst-off around them. Through that, they buy loyalty and love…" her tone suggests that she doubts such a thing is possible.
"… it’s a wonder that… oh, what was his name? Grag?… It’s a wonder this Grag hasn’t kept the roads in good condition, so as to buy himself some good will."
Perhaps he didn’t need it. Perhaps he ruled through muscle alone, in whatever petty kingdom it was he had carved out for himself amongst the merchant and guards of the Folly.
"The ruffian-kings you find in the cities very often improve the conditions of the very worst-off around them. Through that, they buy loyalty and love…" her tone suggests that she doubts such a thing is possible.
"… it’s a wonder that… oh, what was his name? Grag?… It’s a wonder this Grag hasn’t kept the roads in good condition, so as to buy himself some good will."
Perhaps he didn’t need it. Perhaps he ruled through muscle alone, in whatever petty kingdom it was he had carved out for himself amongst the merchant and guards of the Folly.
Last edited March 8, 2024 10:07 am
Mar 8, 2024 11:38 pm
"You might even say that my ears have eyes," Ty unconcernedly answers Aldric's barb. "Like..." Like what? He's got it. "...like a deep sea fish. Clearly the Black Bitch of the Depths is working her will upon me." Aldric seems to give Pelagia new names all the time; Ty figures he can do the same.
As they move along the dilapidated portion of the bridge, the beggar hops over gaps and pivots from sure stone to stone as neatly as anyone with eyes to see. He still wears the blindfold, but since they left Garion's Folly, his effort to maintain the ruse of blindness appears to have vanished.
As they move along the dilapidated portion of the bridge, the beggar hops over gaps and pivots from sure stone to stone as neatly as anyone with eyes to see. He still wears the blindfold, but since they left Garion's Folly, his effort to maintain the ruse of blindness appears to have vanished.
Last edited March 8, 2024 11:39 pm
Mar 9, 2024 12:51 am
From within the cover of the treeline, Dufgal first hears and then sees the trio as they banter up to and across the stone bridge. He can’t quite discern their conversation, they seem unaffected by his transgression nor do they seem to be warily concerned about bandits. He thinks to warn them and is surprised to feel that he has begun to care what happens to them. It is a foreign feeling and he doesn’t quite know what to do with it. He decides not to trust it and disappears back into the woods. Once they pass, he starts following at a great distance constantly scanning forward and back, performing the self-appointed job of scout.
Last edited March 9, 2024 12:53 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Hide in shadows (Agil) - (1d24+3)
(18) + 3 = 21
Mar 9, 2024 3:31 am
The journey across the bridge takes longer than expected because of the suspect footing, and as the travelers cross the three quarter mark, they are partly enveloped by the mists that seem to roll out of the woods on the other side of the fen despite the morning's gradually rising temperature. There is no lack of evidence of Garion's folly all those years ago -- visible in the muck and brown waters on either side of the bridge are the long-abandoned, rotten remains of piers, wharfs, decking, walkways, smashed and sunken fishing boats... quite an investment had been made in trying to make something of the Muckmire.
With the clammy mist comes a wetness on the stone, and on the slime and scum covering so much of it. And comes a much more treacherous finish to the crossing... for as the trio pauses to ferret out the best way through a particularly slimy patch, the sound of cracking, rumbling stone comes from below.
Part of the bridge is giving way, collapsing!
Ty, Aldric, and Anora -- please make for me a Luck check. (Try to roll your luck or under on a d20.) If you fail, make an Agility check vs. DC 10 and we'll go from there regarding what happens...
Dufgal, you're already across the bridge. If you're trying to Hide in Shadows, and remain unseen, please roll vs. DC 10, but use a d24 as your pals are quite distracted with what's happening on the bridge.
With the clammy mist comes a wetness on the stone, and on the slime and scum covering so much of it. And comes a much more treacherous finish to the crossing... for as the trio pauses to ferret out the best way through a particularly slimy patch, the sound of cracking, rumbling stone comes from below.
Part of the bridge is giving way, collapsing!
OOC:
They aren't across quite yet, Dufgal. You will learn soon enough to not get too far out ahead of my GMing. :)Ty, Aldric, and Anora -- please make for me a Luck check. (Try to roll your luck or under on a d20.) If you fail, make an Agility check vs. DC 10 and we'll go from there regarding what happens...
Dufgal, you're already across the bridge. If you're trying to Hide in Shadows, and remain unseen, please roll vs. DC 10, but use a d24 as your pals are quite distracted with what's happening on the bridge.
Mar 9, 2024 8:38 pm
OOC:
Luck check! Ah, Pelagia's wry humour is upon me. Fail! Last edited March 9, 2024 8:39 pm
Rolls
Thrice-damned Bitch Queen, give me a 7 or lower! - (1d20)
(8) = 8
Mar 10, 2024 1:59 am
Age-old mortar crumbles as a section of the bridge, shifts, shears, and comes apart. Whether it's the weight of the travelers or just the cruel hands of time, it's difficult to say -- but either way tons of stone drops down into the black-brown sludge beneath the structure. Despite his blindfold, Ty is quick-footed enough to move and be on the far side of the sudden gap; Aldric is not so lucky -- he has to leap back to not be part of the thundering tumble of stone.
As for Anora the Blue...
As for Anora the Blue...
Mar 10, 2024 2:10 am
Anora is so taken with the sudden prancing of the beggar-man, that she pays little enough attention to her own predicament!
OOC:
Parkour!Last edited March 10, 2024 2:13 am
Rolls
Lady Luck, Give Me a 7! - (1d20)
(19) = 19
Mar 10, 2024 2:26 am
The sound of the falling rock carries down the fen in both directions, echoing and rolling, and when it finally drifts off into the distance the bridge is still again. Aldric and Anora find themselves separated from the beggar by a chasm that spans the whole width of the bridge, a chasm that ranges in distance from five to more than ten feet across. A makeable leap in places, certainly, but can the stones on either side of the gap be trusted?
OOC:
Hopefully that's clear. If you intend to just try and jump across, that's the DC 10 AGI check I referenced in the setup post. If you have other ideas or approaches -- lay 'em out IC!Mar 10, 2024 4:40 am
Aldric landed on the wrong side of crumbling bridge, predictably. Bad luck was a constant in his life, an unwelcome yet stalwart companion.
"Surely you have some magic that can be of assistance here, Anora the Blue?"
He wondered the same question about himself! Like a mystic fisherman, Pelagia gifted him a fresh catch of spells every day.
3. Detect Evil
4. Detect Magic
10. Second Sight
"I could look into the future to ascertain the safest path, but we could also just ask Ty to use his walking stick to test the stability of the ground. Go on, Ty! Give the ground around those easy-to-jump gaps, check if the ground is solid enough to support! Mind you don't fall in, of course."
"Surely you have some magic that can be of assistance here, Anora the Blue?"
He wondered the same question about himself! Like a mystic fisherman, Pelagia gifted him a fresh catch of spells every day.
OOC:
1. Blessing3. Detect Evil
4. Detect Magic
10. Second Sight
Last edited March 10, 2024 5:26 am
Rolls
Today's spells - (1d11, 1d11, 1d11, 1d11)
1d11 : (3) = 3
1d11 : (10) = 10
1d11 : (1) = 1
1d11 : (4) = 4
Mar 10, 2024 6:05 am
Ty turns back and stares through his blindfold at the human unfortunates on the other side of the gap. After a moment he shrugs-- they can't help their clumsiness-- and wanders directly over to the place where he judges the gulf to be narrowest. Standing a little back from the edge, he prods the stones with his 'cane' in order to gauge their firmness.
Mar 10, 2024 8:58 am
"I do have a spell for the occasion, yes. I hadn’t planned to use up the spark quite so early in the day!" she says, clearly unwilling to let the bridge cost her her magicks until all other avenues were exhausted.
"There’s no way to know what lies ahead on the road." she says, with furrowed brow. "It’s best not to be too hasty."
"There’s no way to know what lies ahead on the road." she says, with furrowed brow. "It’s best not to be too hasty."
Mar 10, 2024 5:14 pm
"My sentiments exactly, Anora the Blue. Besides, if Ty's ears can detect swaying bossoms, the swayings of a bridge will be like child's play to him."
Mar 10, 2024 7:43 pm
Ty knocks a few loose stones down into the slurping muck below, but then finds a patch that seems solid -- a good landing pad for those willing to risk a leap!
Be aware I am rarely a binary gamemaster -- if you roll and barely fail with an 8 or 9, that's a better outcome than rolling a 2-3. In other words, the outcome here depends on your result. You won't necessarily *immediately* fall down below, then have more of the bridge come down on top of you...
OOC:
+1d to your AGI rolls if you jump, taking it to a d24.Be aware I am rarely a binary gamemaster -- if you roll and barely fail with an 8 or 9, that's a better outcome than rolling a 2-3. In other words, the outcome here depends on your result. You won't necessarily *immediately* fall down below, then have more of the bridge come down on top of you...
Mar 10, 2024 8:01 pm
Tyravasiel-Llir gives the solid bridge section a demonstrative cane-tap.
"Come ahead, Father Aldric!" he cries. "The leap is not far. Then may you stand ready to catch our traveling lady, should her skirts befoul her."
"Come ahead, Father Aldric!" he cries. "The leap is not far. Then may you stand ready to catch our traveling lady, should her skirts befoul her."
Mar 11, 2024 12:29 am
Aldric was about to insist ladies go first, but decides its better to get it over with quickly. He makes a run for it, which isn't pretty, but gets the job done.
"Now you, Anora!"
"Now you, Anora!"
Last edited March 11, 2024 12:30 am
Rolls
AGI +0 - (1d24)
(13) = 13
Mar 11, 2024 1:13 am
Anora grabs up the surplus material of her robes, so as not to impede her stride and then leap.
"Distribute your weight on that side!" she warns, buying herself time to stump up the courage to make the undignified jump.
Then she goes for it…
"Distribute your weight on that side!" she warns, buying herself time to stump up the courage to make the undignified jump.
Then she goes for it…
Last edited March 11, 2024 1:13 am
Rolls
Might as well JUMP! - (1d24)
(23) = 23
Mar 11, 2024 5:57 am
OOC:
Nicely done! I'll update tomorrow and move you head. Presume you're just carrying on your way, which will take you (on the road) into the woods...Mar 12, 2024 12:52 am
A few more stones tumble down into the bog when Aldric makes his leap, but Anora sails across the gap with surprising coordination, landing lightly and gracefully beside the priest. There is certainly no need to catch the woman, who smooths her skirts and continues on her way, leading the trio the rest of the way across, and off, the bridge.
The other side of the Muckmire Fen is a lonely, stinking, still place. With the bustle of Garion's Folly and the calls of her fisherman, and wading mussel and snail-collectors now distant, the wind and the quiet gurgle of the mire dominate, though crow caws can occasionally be heard from the west, deeper into the woods.
Those green and gray pines stand like walls, preventing access to the land west of the fen, the slopes that eventually start climbing towards the peaks of the Trolltooth Mountains -- which lie far beyond Hirot, their destination. Three centuries before, the King's Road was cut through these woods, and remains a walkable path... though the footing is poor and the way dark and gloomy, a tunnel of sorts through the dark forest. Branches reach and shift in the wind, creaking and rustling as the trio begins the next leg of their journey.
The other side of the Muckmire Fen is a lonely, stinking, still place. With the bustle of Garion's Folly and the calls of her fisherman, and wading mussel and snail-collectors now distant, the wind and the quiet gurgle of the mire dominate, though crow caws can occasionally be heard from the west, deeper into the woods.
Those green and gray pines stand like walls, preventing access to the land west of the fen, the slopes that eventually start climbing towards the peaks of the Trolltooth Mountains -- which lie far beyond Hirot, their destination. Three centuries before, the King's Road was cut through these woods, and remains a walkable path... though the footing is poor and the way dark and gloomy, a tunnel of sorts through the dark forest. Branches reach and shift in the wind, creaking and rustling as the trio begins the next leg of their journey.
OOC:
Onward, I presume, down the road. Dufgal, is this your cue?Mar 12, 2024 1:03 am
"Its scarcely a surprise that the man and his sons didn’t make the journey, given the condition of the roads." Anora says, not commenting on the athleticism she just displayed. If they thought they were transporting a feeble, helpless arcane practitioner, then maybe now they would reassess.
"The coin given to us to determine the why would have been better spent restoring the bridge." she says, but then her mind goes to the spell that sits just out of reach for now…
"The coin given to us to determine the why would have been better spent restoring the bridge." she says, but then her mind goes to the spell that sits just out of reach for now…
Mar 12, 2024 2:08 am
Dufgal traced the trio’s journey from deep within the treeline, being mindful not to step on any fallen detritus. He still can’t be certain that they haven’t been followed, so he waits until they make camp for the night to approach. He gnaws on a piece of jerky to fill his belly and fuel the journey.
Mar 12, 2024 3:23 am
Aldric keeps up, in a fashion, huffing and puffing and squeaking and stumbling. If they thought they were partnered a feeble, helpless divine practitioner, then they were right!
But he does keep up, as every step takes him further from the cursed ocean.
"I take no issue with people spending their town's money to line our pockets. A most noble and holy donation to the church."
But he does keep up, as every step takes him further from the cursed ocean.
"I take no issue with people spending their town's money to line our pockets. A most noble and holy donation to the church."
Mar 12, 2024 10:11 am
Thinking on the wet all about, Anora wonders aloud:
"And do you suppose our hot-blooded companion is currently enjoying your Pelagia’s cold embrace?
He could be an inch below the surface and we would scarcely be able to see him."
"And do you suppose our hot-blooded companion is currently enjoying your Pelagia’s cold embrace?
He could be an inch below the surface and we would scarcely be able to see him."
Mar 12, 2024 12:40 pm
Ty follows amiably enough in the blue wizard's wake.
"About this task of ours," he cuts in. "Does it seem at all strange to you, madam and father, that the Muckmire Merchants' Guild should provision and reward this expedition to determine the fate of one rustic woodsman and his sons? For the coin we're to collect, Relfarious could buy himself five new woodsmen."
"About this task of ours," he cuts in. "Does it seem at all strange to you, madam and father, that the Muckmire Merchants' Guild should provision and reward this expedition to determine the fate of one rustic woodsman and his sons? For the coin we're to collect, Relfarious could buy himself five new woodsmen."
Last edited March 12, 2024 12:45 pm
Mar 12, 2024 3:29 pm
OOC:
Carry on your conversation, but when you hit a good moment to cruise ahead, move to…DEEP IN THE DARK FOREST, THAT NIGHT (ALL)
Miles pass underfoot as the trio walks deeper and deeper into the forest. Broken paving stones and tangles of gnarled roots are stepped around and over, and the grey sky overhead is only visible fleetingly through the branches and tall, swaying, softly rustling pines. The quiet deepens as the day wears on, and the funk of the wood — the smell of rot and decay, of mildew and mold — pervades.
It is otherwise easy travel, as not only is the old road is straight and mostly still walkable with a bit of care, but no brigands emerge from the trees with crossbows leveled, no rat-sized spiders or seeping black horrors drop down from the twisted canopy above. Dusk approaches as the group begins to talk about where they should overnight, and the topic is suddenly underscored as they come upon a roadside ruin, what clearly was once a roadhouse, a way-point one day’s travel from Garion’s Folly. The inn is now only a depression, moss-covered foundation stones and rotten timbers, further sign of the Kingdom’s abandonment of the western frontier.
OOC:
Let’s have a little make-camp scene, get Dufgal back in the party, etc.Mar 13, 2024 1:42 pm
"Let no one mistake you for the sentimental kind." Anora says, looking at the man askance. Never-mind the fact that she had just mentioned that they would have been better off simply repairing the roads…
When they come upon the room some time later, she wonders if she ought to have risked the jump earlier, given that most of the day passed without incident. She supposed there was still time yet.
"Is it bad manners to set ourselves up in the ruins of an old inn, do you think?" she asks the others. "It feels a bit like laying down in a cemetery."
When they come upon the room some time later, she wonders if she ought to have risked the jump earlier, given that most of the day passed without incident. She supposed there was still time yet.
"Is it bad manners to set ourselves up in the ruins of an old inn, do you think?" she asks the others. "It feels a bit like laying down in a cemetery."
Mar 13, 2024 11:57 pm
Tyravasiel is already gathering twigs, pinecones and bark for kindling. He tosses them down in the middle of the ruin, then sets down his backpack and collects some fragments of stone from the old walls. Crouching, he arranges these to form a ring that pushes in the dry wood. What remains of the structure may serve as a windbreak, should the weather turn sour. The walls will also limit the visibility of their fire.
"I choose to think that whatever hospitable souls might haunt such a place would be glad of our company," he reasons, opening his pack and rooting within. "What are we but lodgers, somewhat after the fact?"
"I choose to think that whatever hospitable souls might haunt such a place would be glad of our company," he reasons, opening his pack and rooting within. "What are we but lodgers, somewhat after the fact?"
Last edited March 14, 2024 12:56 am
Mar 14, 2024 2:34 am
"As long as the ghosts don't ask for money, we will get along just fine."
Aldric watches with the approval of a farmer as Ty sets up the camp with excellent foresight. Of course, Aldric is too winded and weary to contribute much to the effort, so he spends time catching his breath. Once it is caught, he uses it to attempt to compose a prayer to Pelagia.
"Hail Pelagia, queen of the brine,
In your kingdom, our destinies entwine.
With every crest, our fears align,
Yet in your presence, our hearts... incline?"
"Gods, that is terrible. Let's try again, hmm?"
"So let us sing, of love and dread,
For Pelagia, queen of the ocean bed.
In her embrace, our souls are fed,
With both love and fear, forever... wed?"
"Oh fucking hells. She might just drown me here and now! What I wouldn't do for a proper, regulation, standard-issue prayer book for followers of Pelagia."
Aldric watches with the approval of a farmer as Ty sets up the camp with excellent foresight. Of course, Aldric is too winded and weary to contribute much to the effort, so he spends time catching his breath. Once it is caught, he uses it to attempt to compose a prayer to Pelagia.
"Hail Pelagia, queen of the brine,
In your kingdom, our destinies entwine.
With every crest, our fears align,
Yet in your presence, our hearts... incline?"
"Gods, that is terrible. Let's try again, hmm?"
"So let us sing, of love and dread,
For Pelagia, queen of the ocean bed.
In her embrace, our souls are fed,
With both love and fear, forever... wed?"
"Oh fucking hells. She might just drown me here and now! What I wouldn't do for a proper, regulation, standard-issue prayer book for followers of Pelagia."
Last edited March 14, 2024 2:35 am
Mar 14, 2024 5:26 am
Dufgal makes his approach as slow as a snail. There is so much debris on the forest floor that any wrong step and the crack or crinkle would give his position away. Of course, the thief knows that these three are not marks of his, but he feels that truly surprising them will impress them greatly. And he hasn’t felt this much ambition in years. It’s coarsing through him powerfully. It’s becoming immensely challenging to slow his breathing as well as his footfalls. Yet steadily he draws near. He even hears Aldrich’s last attempt at a rhyming dedication to his goddess. It makes Dufgal try to think up one. Noses be red. Violence be blue. The water queen might be blue … too. He likes his rhyme quite a bit that he even feels a rare smile take shape on his lips.
OOC:
Big H, lemme know if you want a roll here. Otherwise, I’ll add my appearance tooLast edited March 14, 2024 5:27 am
Mar 14, 2024 6:21 am
The fire is going and darkness has fallen by the time Aldric finishes waxing poetic... or... whatever it is he's doing to regale, appease, or hide from his watery goddess. The wild sounds of the wood mingle with the snap and pop of the fire, which throws a welcome heat, as the damp of the day has worsened, yielding to an evening chill that's going to make sleeping on the ground uncomfortable.
Whoops, I missed Dufgal's approach!
Make a straight-up Sneak Silently roll, please, if you want to surprise them. DC 10 -- success and you can surprise the lot of them. If you fail, they will only know that some shadow in the woods is approaching, and being a bit noisy about it.
OOC:
Let us know who takes first watch, and then...Whoops, I missed Dufgal's approach!
Make a straight-up Sneak Silently roll, please, if you want to surprise them. DC 10 -- success and you can surprise the lot of them. If you fail, they will only know that some shadow in the woods is approaching, and being a bit noisy about it.
Mar 14, 2024 7:14 am
"You might instruct your followers…"
Theoretical though they might be for now…
"… to construct a stopping inn here, Aldric!" the woman remarks. "Unless you hope they’ll climb to this mountain top of yours in a single night’s rest."
Theoretical though they might be for now…
"… to construct a stopping inn here, Aldric!" the woman remarks. "Unless you hope they’ll climb to this mountain top of yours in a single night’s rest."
Mar 14, 2024 2:15 pm
Dufgal’s steps blend in perfectly with the snap, crackle, and pop of the fire as oxygen releases from the wood. He simply appears in the firelight without a sound and says,
I’se got in a bit of trouble, but it’s all right now. Trouble ain’t followsing. I’se be watching.
I’se got in a bit of trouble, but it’s all right now. Trouble ain’t followsing. I’se be watching.
Last edited October 28, 2024 2:48 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Sneak silently (Agil) - (1d20+5)
(20) + 5 = 25
Mar 15, 2024 2:50 am
Ty starts up in surprise at Dufgal's sudden appearance. A melodious stream of invective spills from his lips that sounds like utter nonsense to anyone not versed in the elvish tongue. Then the beggar recalls himself, and his situation. He takes a breath and shakes his head, as if to clear it.
"Pelgi's teats, man!" Close enough. "You look like an ox, but you move like a woodland deer! With that dagger arm and those doe-like hooves, you're surely the one we'll send ahead to scout out any danger."
Tyravasiel-Llir gestures with his cane at the crackling flames. "Come and warm yourself."
"Pelgi's teats, man!" Close enough. "You look like an ox, but you move like a woodland deer! With that dagger arm and those doe-like hooves, you're surely the one we'll send ahead to scout out any danger."
Tyravasiel-Llir gestures with his cane at the crackling flames. "Come and warm yourself."
Mar 15, 2024 3:00 am
Anora startles at the sudden appearance of the man. She’s suddenly conscious of how they didn’t prepare a watch yet, and instead decided to rest their bones before settling in for the night.
"Some warning on the condition of the bridge would have been welcome." Anora chides, as way of introductions again. "If indeed you were watching our route…"
"Some warning on the condition of the bridge would have been welcome." Anora chides, as way of introductions again. "If indeed you were watching our route…"
Mar 15, 2024 3:53 am
Aldric nearly leaps out of his skin when Dufgal emerges from the shadows. When he realizes this is no ghastly ghoul or carnivorous beast, he breathes a sigh of relief.
"Ah, Dufgal, you have returned to the fold! Praise Pelagia! Fortunately, The Queen of Brine does not frown upon her followers from solving their problems with steel. Welcome back."
"Ah, Dufgal, you have returned to the fold! Praise Pelagia! Fortunately, The Queen of Brine does not frown upon her followers from solving their problems with steel. Welcome back."
Mar 15, 2024 10:14 am
"The task of watching might fall to you, Dufgal, given your propensity to it." the woman says, with a hint of honey to the words. In truth, she wanted to sleep soundly, and the man was a being of almost animal instincts; be that towards violence, going to ground, or passing quietly in the wilds…
Mar 15, 2024 3:27 pm
I’se ‘appy to be back with you’se, sirs. I’se run through them trees so I’se didn’t cross no bridge.
And Dufgal gratefully nears the well-built fire and begins to dry out his clothes and warm his bones. When time comes to set watch, he agrees to take a shift, whatever the crew wants.
And Dufgal gratefully nears the well-built fire and begins to dry out his clothes and warm his bones. When time comes to set watch, he agrees to take a shift, whatever the crew wants.
Mar 15, 2024 5:36 pm
OOC:
Just a quick note -- there was no way to cross the fen quickly without using the birdge, a ferryman, or say stealing a little dory. Going on foot would take a couple of days to go around.Mar 16, 2024 2:42 am
Aldric is concerned with Ty's misspronounciation of the Bitch Queen's name. He's sure that Pelagia would hold him accountable.
"Pell. Lah. Gee. Ah. Pelagia. Got it? Now you try."
He attempts to work Ty through the exercise.
"Don't you Elves revere the gods? Don't you know what they are capable of? If you're going to invoke the Bitch Queen's name and talk about her teats, you have to do with respect!"
"Pell. Lah. Gee. Ah. Pelagia. Got it? Now you try."
He attempts to work Ty through the exercise.
"Don't you Elves revere the gods? Don't you know what they are capable of? If you're going to invoke the Bitch Queen's name and talk about her teats, you have to do with respect!"
Mar 16, 2024 2:24 pm
Ty re-settles by the fire, with legs spread and knees raised. He rests his cane against the inside of one thigh, then holds his palms out to the flames.
"We recognize certain powers somewhat greater than ourselves," he explains, "though the gulf is not so wide as between humans and their gods. Those powers demand respect, although they do not often reward it unless certain... special arrangements are made. Far better, Father Aldric, to submit to the service of a human deity. Their demands seem principally to be ceremonial, sartorial or linguistic-- your 'teats' this and your 'brine' that-- while their protective power is relatively sure."
The elf pauses, and his easy manner seems for a moment to sag on his face. There are lines cut into the corners of his mouth, the sketch of a frown.
"And so I say hail Pelagia, and the shield of her watery embrace."
"We recognize certain powers somewhat greater than ourselves," he explains, "though the gulf is not so wide as between humans and their gods. Those powers demand respect, although they do not often reward it unless certain... special arrangements are made. Far better, Father Aldric, to submit to the service of a human deity. Their demands seem principally to be ceremonial, sartorial or linguistic-- your 'teats' this and your 'brine' that-- while their protective power is relatively sure."
The elf pauses, and his easy manner seems for a moment to sag on his face. There are lines cut into the corners of his mouth, the sketch of a frown.
"And so I say hail Pelagia, and the shield of her watery embrace."
Mar 16, 2024 3:57 pm
Listening without comprehension, Dufgal turns to Ty,
Ain’t you a human too, Tyver…sellier?
The thief may exist within the paradox of bold and sneaky, but he has no extraordinary perceptual abilities. He has taken Ty as presented so far. Plus he has never met an elf so he has no frame of reference other than humans.
Ain’t you a human too, Tyver…sellier?
The thief may exist within the paradox of bold and sneaky, but he has no extraordinary perceptual abilities. He has taken Ty as presented so far. Plus he has never met an elf so he has no frame of reference other than humans.
Mar 17, 2024 11:06 am
Ignoring the thief’s question, for the answer seemed clear enough to Anora, she quizzes:
"And why not simply dedicate yourself to the magical arts? Your people are skilled enough by nature. Rather than beseeching the divine, why not simply elevate yourself to their equal? You said yourself that the gap is not so great."
"And why not simply dedicate yourself to the magical arts? Your people are skilled enough by nature. Rather than beseeching the divine, why not simply elevate yourself to their equal? You said yourself that the gap is not so great."
Mar 17, 2024 2:38 pm
OOC:
Take your time here. But as you close up for the night, let me know if you're setting watches, etc. Also, take off a day's ration of food if you haven't already.Mar 17, 2024 2:49 pm
Ty removes his broad-brimmed hat, then pushes up his blindfold so that it rests upon his forehead like a threadbare bandanna. His eyes are a deep, pine green, verging on black; they have no pupils. He turns this alien gaze upon Dufgal, in order to confirm for the burly thief that Tyravasiel-Llir is not, in fact, human. And not blind. His attention then drifts back to the flickering flames.
"I have some small knowledge in the art," he concedes, to Anora's challenge. "However, madam, not everyone is blessed with your single-minded dedication. Or your ability to flatter a robe."
"I have some small knowledge in the art," he concedes, to Anora's challenge. "However, madam, not everyone is blessed with your single-minded dedication. Or your ability to flatter a robe."
Mar 18, 2024 12:50 am
Dufgal is dumbfounded and can’t help that his jaw goes slack just a bit. He thinks of nothing to say so he simply stares at his first elf experience.
OOC:
I got goosebumps. Great reveal Ciriaco!Mar 18, 2024 9:40 am
Anora watches the fire dance in the eyes as the creature speaks, determined to try and understand the focus behind those alien eye. How exactly did one know an elf was looking at you, if its head didn’t give the game away.
She wondered on the matter of robes then. To compliment the eyes with a deep green, or to draw attention away with something more outlandish?
"I wouldn’t call it a singular focus. Every once in a while, I find myself on a quest such as this."
That she was doing this to get her hands on a spell remained unsaid.
She wondered on the matter of robes then. To compliment the eyes with a deep green, or to draw attention away with something more outlandish?
"I wouldn’t call it a singular focus. Every once in a while, I find myself on a quest such as this."
That she was doing this to get her hands on a spell remained unsaid.
Last edited March 18, 2024 9:40 am
Mar 18, 2024 1:25 pm
Tyravasiel does Dufgal the courtesy of not observing-- or at least, not remarking upon-- his gawking.
"The spirit of adventure sometimes moves us all, madam," he says, in a flat tone suggesting that this is the furthest thing from the truth. After all, his own 'adventures' have been forced upon him by the vengeance of a murderous elfin lady...
"Dufgal, I'm sure you've realized this--" again that flat tone-- "but it would be best not to speak of my heritage in company. Your people are not known for their tolerance of the outsider."
"The spirit of adventure sometimes moves us all, madam," he says, in a flat tone suggesting that this is the furthest thing from the truth. After all, his own 'adventures' have been forced upon him by the vengeance of a murderous elfin lady...
"Dufgal, I'm sure you've realized this--" again that flat tone-- "but it would be best not to speak of my heritage in company. Your people are not known for their tolerance of the outsider."
Mar 18, 2024 9:07 pm
Dufgal at once feels the giddy insider and potentially insulted. He is not sure which the elf meant as there were no tone clues in his voice. ’my people’? Did he mean gongfarmers? I guess they could be elf-haters. It’s never come up.
The thief yawns and says,
if’n you’se gonna talk some more, I’se set to rest a spell. Wake me for my watch.
The thief yawns and says,
if’n you’se gonna talk some more, I’se set to rest a spell. Wake me for my watch.
OOC:
Not sure if we need two or three watches, but I’ll take the last one.Last edited March 18, 2024 9:10 pm
Mar 19, 2024 7:07 am
OOC:
Carry on the conversation as long as you like, but when you wrap up...DEEP IN THE DARK FOREST, THAT NEXT MORNING (ALL)
The night passes uneventfully, but uncomfortably. The chill and the damp cuts to the bone here, through sleeping furs and blankets and clothing. Sleeping out of doors another two or even three nights does not sound a welcome prospect as the quartet packs up and sets out again, following the old King's Road deeper and deeper into the at-times eerily silent pine forest.
Vivid dreams came to each of them as they shivered and rested, Anora and Dufgal, Ty and Aldric. Fleeting dreams that weren't remembered, that dissolved and drifted into the aether, even before water was splashed on faces and the cookfire was stoked back up.
Save for Aldric's dreams, if he could call them that.
Some of the images, the memories, the tastes and sensations... remain with him. The moon, pregnant and full, hanging low in the sky, swollen and leering. The baying of wolves, the churning fury of the sea as it fought against that pull. The taste of salt water on his lips... and there on the road, a trail of damp footprints leading west, towards Hirot, that no one else seemed to notice...
OOC:
Right. It's Day Two, and make sure you've crossed off a ration. Other things to do:▫ Anyone missing hit points, gain one back.
▫ Dufgal, gain back one point of Luck.
▫ Aldric, randomize your spells. And if it's not clear, the Sea Bitch approves!
▫ All four of you please make STA checks vs. DC 10. This represents the damp chill of sleeping outdoors, and you'll lose a point of STA if you fail.
What's the plan today? Stay the course and bear west?
Mar 19, 2024 7:12 am
Anora attends to herself the next morning, feeling a little worse for wear, but that’s to be expected.
"If might hasten our step..." she remarks to the others, seeing them groggy and feeling every bit as cold as they stone they lay on.
"… if we wish to avoid many more nights like that." she continues, as she finishes construction on the beehive sat atop her head.
"We mustn’t waste the light!" she says, standing and ready to depart. Her fixes her longsword to her hip.
"If might hasten our step..." she remarks to the others, seeing them groggy and feeling every bit as cold as they stone they lay on.
"… if we wish to avoid many more nights like that." she continues, as she finishes construction on the beehive sat atop her head.
"We mustn’t waste the light!" she says, standing and ready to depart. Her fixes her longsword to her hip.
Last edited March 19, 2024 7:16 am
Rolls
Stamina!! - (1d20)
(14) = 14
Mar 19, 2024 3:17 pm
The night was full of terror for Dufgal. As soon as he fell asleep, he dreamt that the townsfolk had caught him unawares and surrounded him. They towered over him in judgment and his father was there too. Just when he thought his father would defend him, it was actually he who ordered the hounds to attack. They all watched as they ripped his flesh from his body. It lasted all night until he felt his life drain from him. Morning came too soon.
He stumbled through the tasks of readying for travel and grunted his approval at Anora’s suggestion.
He stumbled through the tasks of readying for travel and grunted his approval at Anora’s suggestion.
OOC:
Health and luck added. Stamina subtractedLast edited March 19, 2024 3:22 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Stamina - Roll - (1d20+1)
(5) + 1 = 6
Mar 20, 2024 1:44 am
Ty looks quite ratty to begin with, so it's hard to tell whether the night of hard sleeping has taken any toll upon him. Here in the wilderness, he keeps his blindfold pushed up on his high forehead and cants his hat on the back of his head. His weird, almost insectile eyes seem to be focused on the backpack that he ties up and shrugs under his cloak.
"You must be a morning person, Madam Blue," the elf mumbles. Clearly he's less eager, or perhaps less able, than she to pluck the fruits of the day.
"You must be a morning person, Madam Blue," the elf mumbles. Clearly he's less eager, or perhaps less able, than she to pluck the fruits of the day.
Last edited March 20, 2024 1:47 am
Rolls
Stamina Check - (1d20+1)
(4) + 1 = 5
Mar 20, 2024 2:57 am
OOC:
Rolling now, will try to update soon!Spells: Darkness, Detect Magic, Resist Heat or Cold, Word of Command
Stamina check failed, stamina down to 11/12
One 5cp ration consumed (fudging inventory as we speak)
Last edited March 20, 2024 4:06 am
Rolls
Spells - (1d11, 1d11, 1d11, 1d11)
1d11 : (9) = 9
1d11 : (2) = 2
1d11 : (4) = 4
1d11 : (11) = 11
Stamina (DC 10) - (1d20+0)
(4) = 4
Mar 20, 2024 3:16 am
"Better to be a morning person in places such as this, so that we may avoid having to spend another night." Anora says, with a nod to confirm the elf’s suspicion.
"Are you quite ready?" she asks the cleric, as she studies his face. She thinks him peaky and haggard looking. More than usual, at least…
"Are you quite ready?" she asks the cleric, as she studies his face. She thinks him peaky and haggard looking. More than usual, at least…
Mar 20, 2024 6:55 am
LATER THAT DAY (ALL)
As the journey continues, the group finds their pace and makes good time. It is beyond lonesome, this road, and this wood, so they are glad for their own company as the hours and leagues go by. Fog and mist comes and goes throughout the day, leaving hair and cloaks damp, and skin clammy. The smell of a wet wood pervades -- the earthy fumes of rot, of fungus and of pines. The forest is eerily quiet as dusk approaches, and the quartet begins to talk about finding a suitable place to make camp.
And that's when they spy, perhaps a hundred paces away, something lying, unmoving, in the middle of the unkept road. A slightly closer look suggests there might be several somethings, perhaps four or five...
As the journey continues, the group finds their pace and makes good time. It is beyond lonesome, this road, and this wood, so they are glad for their own company as the hours and leagues go by. Fog and mist comes and goes throughout the day, leaving hair and cloaks damp, and skin clammy. The smell of a wet wood pervades -- the earthy fumes of rot, of fungus and of pines. The forest is eerily quiet as dusk approaches, and the quartet begins to talk about finding a suitable place to make camp.
And that's when they spy, perhaps a hundred paces away, something lying, unmoving, in the middle of the unkept road. A slightly closer look suggests there might be several somethings, perhaps four or five...
OOC:
Several somethings on the path about 100 yards ahead. Maybe the size of raccoons? Hard to say. It's getting dark, the shadows are long. What do y'all do?Mar 20, 2024 4:28 pm
Aldric rises, aching and groaning, bracing himself against the oar for support. His hair is wild like tangled seaweed, his clothes disheveled like rolling waves, and his skin is still tinged blue. He looks up to Anora the Blue's impatient face. He places his hands on his hips and arches his back until he fills the camp with a loud series of cracks, and finishes with an unceremonious fart.
"Quite ready, Anora the Blue."
The walk is mostly bearable for Aldric, for the group encounters no large bodies of water and Aldric draws a measure of peace from that. The smell of dampness still manages to drive enough fear in him to keep his half-drowned corpse moving forward, though his breathing is laboured, and all taking is accompanied by painful wheezing.
When they come across the somethings on the road, Aldric's measure of peace goes cold. He raises Pelagia's symbol of the twice-crested wave in preparation to turn back these creatures, be they mundane animals. He also starts steps back behind Dufgal and Ty.
"Rodents and vermin of unusual size. Best be on our guard."
"Quite ready, Anora the Blue."
The walk is mostly bearable for Aldric, for the group encounters no large bodies of water and Aldric draws a measure of peace from that. The smell of dampness still manages to drive enough fear in him to keep his half-drowned corpse moving forward, though his breathing is laboured, and all taking is accompanied by painful wheezing.
When they come across the somethings on the road, Aldric's measure of peace goes cold. He raises Pelagia's symbol of the twice-crested wave in preparation to turn back these creatures, be they mundane animals. He also starts steps back behind Dufgal and Ty.
"Rodents and vermin of unusual size. Best be on our guard."
[ +- ] Turn Undead Rules
Turn Unholy: By wielding their holy symbol and uttering holy words, a cleric can turn away the enemies of their faith. A cleric can attempt to turn away un-dead, demons, and devils. Some clerics of particular faiths may be able to turn away other kinds of creatures, depending on what powers their deities award them*.
A turn check is mechanically similar to a spell check, except that Luck matters. A d20 is rolled and added to the cleric’s caster level. The cleric’s Personality and Luck modifiers are also included. Compare the result of the turn check to the table below.
Turned monsters usually receive a Will save to resist being turned. The save is made against the cleric’s turn check. At sufficiently high results, a cleric may turn groups of weaker creatures automatically; they do not receive a saving throw. A failed turn check increases the cleric’s range of natural disapproval, just as with a failed spell check.
If a cleric raises their holy symbol to turn a group of mixed creatures, the player should indicate a specific target. Apply the results of the turn check based on the HD of the target creature. "Overflow" HD affect lower-HD creatures at the indicated effect. For example, if a cleric were charged by a band of 1 HD skeletons led by a 4 HD vampire com- mander, the player could designate whether they target the skeletons or the vampire. If they target the skeletons and their check is 19, they turn 1d4+CL of these lesser un-dead but does not affect the vampire. If they target the vampire and their next check is 24, they turn 1d3+CL HD creatures. If they roll 5, that means they could turn the vampire and 4 of the skeletons.
* Unholy Creatures for a Neutral Cleric: Mundane animals, undead, demons, devils, monsters (e.g., basilisk or medusa), lycanthropes, perversions of nature (e.g., otyughs and slimes)
A turn check is mechanically similar to a spell check, except that Luck matters. A d20 is rolled and added to the cleric’s caster level. The cleric’s Personality and Luck modifiers are also included. Compare the result of the turn check to the table below.
Turned monsters usually receive a Will save to resist being turned. The save is made against the cleric’s turn check. At sufficiently high results, a cleric may turn groups of weaker creatures automatically; they do not receive a saving throw. A failed turn check increases the cleric’s range of natural disapproval, just as with a failed spell check.
If a cleric raises their holy symbol to turn a group of mixed creatures, the player should indicate a specific target. Apply the results of the turn check based on the HD of the target creature. "Overflow" HD affect lower-HD creatures at the indicated effect. For example, if a cleric were charged by a band of 1 HD skeletons led by a 4 HD vampire com- mander, the player could designate whether they target the skeletons or the vampire. If they target the skeletons and their check is 19, they turn 1d4+CL of these lesser un-dead but does not affect the vampire. If they target the vampire and their next check is 24, they turn 1d3+CL HD creatures. If they roll 5, that means they could turn the vampire and 4 of the skeletons.
* Unholy Creatures for a Neutral Cleric: Mundane animals, undead, demons, devils, monsters (e.g., basilisk or medusa), lycanthropes, perversions of nature (e.g., otyughs and slimes)
Last edited March 20, 2024 4:31 pm
Mar 20, 2024 4:38 pm
Without a word about strategy, Dufgal slips off the road and into the brush. He circles around to the flank of these creatures and readies his dagger.
OOC:
Does the new vantage point give him any clarity about what he’s looking at?Mar 20, 2024 9:23 pm
Slipping off the road, his bulk seeming to never impede his ability to move quietly, Dufgal creeps through the woods proper, up the right hand flank of whatever was on the road. It doesn’t take the man long to see, once the distance is cut in half, and in half again, that these are not dead critters on the road, but pieces and chunks of one larger animal.
Spotting a trail of gouged moss and disturbed forest litter, of trampled ferns and broken brush, the big thief thinks the animal on the road came this way before some predator caught it in the open. The now-dead creature came from the north, and at some speed.
The trio on the road move closer as well, and see that, indeed, these are meaty, red hunks of fur, flesh and bone scattered all across the road. There’s something vaguely recognizable as a haunch, there’s a hoof, there’s the tongue and lower jaw of some elk or huge deer, and there are broken ribs protruding like white fingers from the poor creature’s headless and limbless ruined torso. From that sizable mound have spilled — or been pulled — innards, intestines... all sorts of unidentifiable viscera.
It takes a moment, but eventually the group spies the largest part of the thing’s head, complete with its rack. Indeed — an elk, and a big one. One eye has been torn out, but the other, glassy and black, is wide with terror.
Spotting a trail of gouged moss and disturbed forest litter, of trampled ferns and broken brush, the big thief thinks the animal on the road came this way before some predator caught it in the open. The now-dead creature came from the north, and at some speed.
The trio on the road move closer as well, and see that, indeed, these are meaty, red hunks of fur, flesh and bone scattered all across the road. There’s something vaguely recognizable as a haunch, there’s a hoof, there’s the tongue and lower jaw of some elk or huge deer, and there are broken ribs protruding like white fingers from the poor creature’s headless and limbless ruined torso. From that sizable mound have spilled — or been pulled — innards, intestines... all sorts of unidentifiable viscera.
It takes a moment, but eventually the group spies the largest part of the thing’s head, complete with its rack. Indeed — an elk, and a big one. One eye has been torn out, but the other, glassy and black, is wide with terror.
OOC:
Dufgal is in the woods still; presume the other three have come up to within ten or fifteen feet of these animal remains.Mar 20, 2024 10:08 pm
The thief approaches the carcass and assesses whether jerky could be made from the elk meat. Then, as a precaution, swivels his head around to examine if there are any signs of the predator that did this carnage.
OOC:
Prints? Broken branches, drag marks? Anything to give us a sense of where it came from and where it went. Mar 21, 2024 6:46 am
OOC:
Sounds like tracking... which would be like a profession skill rather than a general adventuring thing. I've been waiting to make a call like this! Make an INT check, Dufgal, with a DC of 10. The rub? You're rolling a d10 for being unskilled in wilderness tracking.Mar 21, 2024 7:16 am
Anora wrinkled her nose at the unsightly seen, and yet isn’t surprised:
"Well, we can hardly expect much else. The land has been surrendered to the beasts, so why not the roads too." she says, with no small amount of confidence.
"We’ve likely passed several such scenes already, though they may have been further off the road."
"Well, we can hardly expect much else. The land has been surrendered to the beasts, so why not the roads too." she says, with no small amount of confidence.
"We’ve likely passed several such scenes already, though they may have been further off the road."
Mar 21, 2024 2:38 pm
Dufgal sees the mess and tries to make sense. So much bloody carnage. He can’t tell if it’s natural or unnatural.
it musta hap’n recent cuz no carrion here peckin at it yet
it musta hap’n recent cuz no carrion here peckin at it yet
Last edited March 21, 2024 3:55 pm
Rolls
Unskilled tracking - (1d10)
(7) = 7
Mar 21, 2024 5:20 pm
Ty peers into the woods north of the road. The recurrent mist will make it hard to see much, though, so he listens as well. Something large enough to bring down an elk couldn't move through branches and underbrush and forest litter without making a sound. Could it?
"We should be on our way," he advises. "Lest we suffer the same fate."
"We should be on our way," he advises. "Lest we suffer the same fate."
Mar 21, 2024 11:45 pm
"Most sensible, Ty. The smell of a fresh kill will no doubt attract animals with sharp teeth."
If the rest of the company agrees, Aldric will make a wide berth around the carcass and resume the journey.
If the rest of the company agrees, Aldric will make a wide berth around the carcass and resume the journey.
Mar 22, 2024 6:33 am
Dufgal finishes stripping some meat and quickly readies to leave. He stretches it across his backpack hoping that the air is enough to dry it out. If the sun doesn’t come out, he may have to feed it to the dogs.
OOC:
He’s ready to strike out and cover more ground. Mar 22, 2024 7:24 am
Leaving the dead creature behind, the foursome continue on their way, determined to put a bit of road between them and whatever did that before they stop to search for a suitable campsite.
Dufgal is last to leave the scene of the butchered elk as he cuts pieces of meat from it, and something about the state of the animal bothers him. Bothers him beyond the violent means of its death. There are no vermin swarming the thing, no flies buzzing, no birds even eyeing the red chunks of mangled corpse.
Strange.
Almost another league on, it begins to rain heavily, forcing the party off the overgrown road and into the woods. The sound of the downpour at dominates the senses as the sun goes down, and it's almost as hard to hear one another as it is see one another beneath the dark, dripping evergreens.
Dufgal, roll a d3 to see how many rations of dead elk you manage to grab, and put those in your inventory, please.
Dufgal is last to leave the scene of the butchered elk as he cuts pieces of meat from it, and something about the state of the animal bothers him. Bothers him beyond the violent means of its death. There are no vermin swarming the thing, no flies buzzing, no birds even eyeing the red chunks of mangled corpse.
Strange.
Almost another league on, it begins to rain heavily, forcing the party off the overgrown road and into the woods. The sound of the downpour at dominates the senses as the sun goes down, and it's almost as hard to hear one another as it is see one another beneath the dark, dripping evergreens.
OOC:
Alright, presuming all four of you look for a suitable campsite, I'd like a Luck roll from everyone, please. If at least two of you make it, you'll find a place where you can pass the night. You're at -1d in the twilight, and that means you're rolling a d24 instead of a d20 for the Luck check... unless you use a light source, spell or the like. If you do, roll the d20, but cross one one use of the light source.Dufgal, roll a d3 to see how many rations of dead elk you manage to grab, and put those in your inventory, please.
Mar 22, 2024 1:41 pm
The others being so skittish around a dead deer didn’t inspire confidence that they would draw blood, if the time came for it. Only Dufgal had proven himself willing so far, and seemed by far the least disturbed by some bog-beast’s kill.
When the rain starts, she pulls her robe up around herself all the more, keeping out the wet and wind if she can. She supposed the elves eyes must be better suited to searching for shelter in these conditions, but the woman searches nevertheless.
When the rain starts, she pulls her robe up around herself all the more, keeping out the wet and wind if she can. She supposed the elves eyes must be better suited to searching for shelter in these conditions, but the woman searches nevertheless.
Rolls
LUCK 7 - (1d24)
(22) = 22
Mar 22, 2024 6:03 pm
Aldric curses the lack of light. Has Pelagia blessed him with any magical ability that might assist? No of course not! In fact, in accordance with her dry sense of humour he can only use her power to make things darker!
OOC:
Failure, alas.Last edited March 23, 2024 5:25 am
Rolls
Luck in the dark (7) - (1d24)
(16) = 16
Mar 23, 2024 2:19 am
Traipsing through the rain and wind has never bothered Dufgal much, until now. The foreboding feeling is a combination of recent events and that every step past the bridge is a step further from home he has ever been. He feels two strong ways about it all.
He also couldn’t stop wondering why the elk was left there alone by every natural creature. Was he wrong for grabbing some. It seemed the right thing to do at the time.
After walking as long as possible from the scene, it became evident that there would need to be a lot more effort put into finding and setting up shelter for the night.
He also couldn’t stop wondering why the elk was left there alone by every natural creature. Was he wrong for grabbing some. It seemed the right thing to do at the time.
After walking as long as possible from the scene, it became evident that there would need to be a lot more effort put into finding and setting up shelter for the night.
OOC:
lol. Crit luck fail. This should be interesting. Last edited March 23, 2024 2:22 am
Rolls
Strips of elk meat - (1d3)
(2) = 2
Luck check - (1d24)
(24) = 24
Mar 23, 2024 2:26 am
Tyravasiel-Llir squints through the gathering gloom, looking for a place where they might shelter from the elements. Mere darkness isn't a challenge for his kind, but the rain that cascades from his hat's brim and plasters his cloak to his body makes it hard to see much of anything out there. Trees and branches and shadows swim together amid the torrent.
Last edited March 23, 2024 2:27 am
Rolls
Luck Check (10) - (1d24)
(18) = 18
Mar 23, 2024 4:25 pm
There's no thunder or lightning as the weather worsens, but the steady pounding of the rainstorm is frightfully loud in the trees, and despite the pine cover they enjoy, all four travelers are soon enough soaked to the skin. The ground they traverse, looking for proper shelter, is either too boggy and wet, or too rough and uneven to set up a proper camp. There will be no fire tonight, nor the roof of some cave or hastily constructed lean-to over their heads.
Two hours into the downpour the rain begins to relent, but then the temperature turns cold... icing over the trees, the ground, and even the packs and cloaks of the quartet as they huddle together for warmth beneath the biggest tree they can fine. Tree limbs and branches all throughout the wood crack and snap with the weight of it, even as as frosty breaths become visible and as fingers and toes go numb.
It is a long night.
THE NEXT MORNING (ALL)
Making their way back out onto the road, Ty, Anora, Aldric and Dufgal are wet and exhausted. The sky is low and gray is every direction, but the precipitation has stopped and the air has warmed to a more reasonable temperature.
Two hours into the downpour the rain begins to relent, but then the temperature turns cold... icing over the trees, the ground, and even the packs and cloaks of the quartet as they huddle together for warmth beneath the biggest tree they can fine. Tree limbs and branches all throughout the wood crack and snap with the weight of it, even as as frosty breaths become visible and as fingers and toes go numb.
It is a long night.
THE NEXT MORNING (ALL)
Making their way back out onto the road, Ty, Anora, Aldric and Dufgal are wet and exhausted. The sky is low and gray is every direction, but the precipitation has stopped and the air has warmed to a more reasonable temperature.
OOC:
Already. No healing (HP or attributes) or Luck recovery last night as you didn't rest properly. I'd also like Fortitude Saves from everyone to see how well you resisted the wet and the cold. Your Fort Save should be listed on your sheet, as it's ties to your Class and your STA modifier. Everyone roll at d20 except for Dufgal, who suffers -1d from his poor showing with Luck... so he rolls 1d16.[ +- ] Results of the Save
| Result | Effect |
| 15 or above | All good |
| 10-14 | Lose 1 point of STA |
| 5-9 | Lose 2 points of STA |
| 4 or lower | Lose 2 points of STA and you have frostbitten toes, suffering -5 to Speed. Make another FORT Save in twelve hours to prevent losing 1d5 toes and that much Speed permanently. |
Mar 23, 2024 6:01 pm
The rain and the ice remind Aldric that he is not out of Pelagia's reach even this far from the sea. Was she punishing him? Hardening him? It was the way of the sea to do both at once, he decided, wearily.
As it turned out, he was already such a miserable, half-drowned, frostbitten mess that he hardly noticed the wet and the cold.
Praise Pelagia.
As it turned out, he was already such a miserable, half-drowned, frostbitten mess that he hardly noticed the wet and the cold.
Praise Pelagia.
OOC:
Today's specials are Detect Magic, Paralysis, Protection from Evil, and Resist Cold/Heat!Last edited March 23, 2024 6:15 pm
Rolls
New spells - (1d11, 1d11, 1d11, 1d11)
1d11 : (8) = 8
1d11 : (7) = 7
1d11 : (4) = 4
1d11 : (9) = 9
Fort Save - (1d20+0)
(15) = 15
Mar 23, 2024 9:20 pm
Wondering if the gods truly do exist to test him, Dufgal was feeling physically and mentally anguished. However, he recalled something his father's father said often, there’s grit in the shit. It never made sense when he was young and it seemed like something gongfarmers said to make themselves feel wise, but there is wisdom in it. Life’s, or the gods’, tests are opportunities to grow resilient. Dufgal found warmth and even hope in this remembrance and toughened out the night.
Upon the rising of the sun and the clearing of weather, only the cold remaining felt manageable. Dufgal visually checked on the others, but remained silent. He had yet discovered whether they were chatty in the morning or not. He certainly would not want to be annoying anyone after the night they had.
Upon the rising of the sun and the clearing of weather, only the cold remaining felt manageable. Dufgal visually checked on the others, but remained silent. He had yet discovered whether they were chatty in the morning or not. He certainly would not want to be annoying anyone after the night they had.
Last edited March 23, 2024 9:29 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Stamina - (1d16+1)
(14) + 1 = 15
Mar 23, 2024 9:49 pm
"Dufgal, the rains haven't dampened your spirits one bit. Good man, truly a follower of Pelagia. Now, on to an important matter regarding our payment. We will have to return to your town to get our promised reward from Relfarious the Shrewd. I imagine this will be more difficult for you, given the disagreement you settled with your knife. Is this correct?"
Mar 24, 2024 1:48 am
Dufgal nods as Aldric poses his question.
I’se guess’n so, sir. It might could mean I’se broke my contract. I dunno ‘cause I’se can’t read. Better them think I’se dead, huh? No good tryin’ to collect my share."
Dufgal readies himself for the road.
I’se guess’n so, sir. It might could mean I’se broke my contract. I dunno ‘cause I’se can’t read. Better them think I’se dead, huh? No good tryin’ to collect my share."
Dufgal readies himself for the road.
Last edited March 24, 2024 1:49 am
Mar 24, 2024 1:52 am
Shuddering, Ty does what he can to wring the rain water from his cloak. He removes his hat and slaps it few times to break up the ice that cakes the brim. He's too miserable to express sympathy for Dufgal's plight, were he inclined by nature to do so.
Last edited March 24, 2024 1:54 am
Rolls
Fortitude Save - (1d20+2)
(10) + 2 = 12
Mar 24, 2024 8:33 am
Anora keeps her complaints to herself the next morning. In fact, she keeps most everything to herself when they finally stir from camp, as she is in no mood for talking. She expected the feeling was shared by all, and so prepared for a sullen day of trudging through wet muck. Better that they were all on the same page in that regard.
She readies her weapon at its place, and lets loose a sigh to signal she is ready to be on with the day.
She readies her weapon at its place, and lets loose a sigh to signal she is ready to be on with the day.
Last edited March 24, 2024 8:36 am
Rolls
Fort - (1d20)
(9) = 9
Mar 24, 2024 7:28 pm
The mood is heavier as the foursome takes back to the road, knowing that they will need to travel all day today and at least most of another day beyond that before reaching Hirot. Still, its no longer raining or quite so cold, and movement sends warmth to their extemities.
LATER IN THE DAY (ALL)
The day passes uneventfully, with the rustling of the trees, the cawing of distant crows, and their own footsteps and voices the only things that break the lonely silence. Attention turns towards finding a camp as the sun, dim as it is behind the leaden curtains of clouds, goes down. There's rain visible in the southern sky, but the trees make it difficult to tell whether it's coming or going.
Throughout the course of the day, those evergreens have gradually thinned, and after rounding a mild corner and crossing a stream that's eroded its way right through the middle of the road, the party sees it -- high ground to the north that looks dry and under some cover of both trees and large stones. The hill is perhaps two hundred paces off the road, and will be a bit of a climb...
Looks like no one lost toes, aw! 1 STA damage to Ty, two to Anora. Pausing here to allow for comments, reactions, etc.
LATER IN THE DAY (ALL)
The day passes uneventfully, with the rustling of the trees, the cawing of distant crows, and their own footsteps and voices the only things that break the lonely silence. Attention turns towards finding a camp as the sun, dim as it is behind the leaden curtains of clouds, goes down. There's rain visible in the southern sky, but the trees make it difficult to tell whether it's coming or going.
Throughout the course of the day, those evergreens have gradually thinned, and after rounding a mild corner and crossing a stream that's eroded its way right through the middle of the road, the party sees it -- high ground to the north that looks dry and under some cover of both trees and large stones. The hill is perhaps two hundred paces off the road, and will be a bit of a climb...
OOC:
Definitely a decent-looking stop to camp for the night.Looks like no one lost toes, aw! 1 STA damage to Ty, two to Anora. Pausing here to allow for comments, reactions, etc.
Mar 25, 2024 3:12 am
"If nothing else, I think we can consider this an easy bag of coin for you gentlemen." Anora says, finally breaking her silence. "I had expected that we would be beset by all sorts on the way here, given our employers caution."
She allows herself a thin smile; glad that the journey had been easier, at least in terms of bloodshed.
"Will you be able to climb that?" Anora asks the cleric, wondering if the older man has the legs for scaling the hill.
She allows herself a thin smile; glad that the journey had been easier, at least in terms of bloodshed.
"Will you be able to climb that?" Anora asks the cleric, wondering if the older man has the legs for scaling the hill.
Mar 25, 2024 2:33 pm
Pushing his hat back on his head, Ty narrows his eyes and peers up at the sheltered area atop the hill. It seems a perfect place to spend the night. Any traveler passing this way would think the same. As would anyone looking to prey upon travelers passing this way. Which is to say...
"Dufgal. Why don't you creep up there in your pad-footed fashion and have a look about. Make sure there aren't any ruffians like yourself already encamped, or lying in wait."
"Dufgal. Why don't you creep up there in your pad-footed fashion and have a look about. Make sure there aren't any ruffians like yourself already encamped, or lying in wait."
Mar 25, 2024 3:45 pm
I’se on the task, sir
Dufgal ventures ahead of the crew, carefully laying down his heel first and rolling his foot to the toes on each step. His head swiveling right to left, up and down, looking for anything out of the ordinary or any movement. Once he gets up to the hill, he told Ty that he’d caw three times like a crow if it’s safe or whistle like whippoorwill if it’s not. He used to play this as a game when he was a little boy. Now it’s for real and it doesn’t seem that different to him.
Dufgal ventures ahead of the crew, carefully laying down his heel first and rolling his foot to the toes on each step. His head swiveling right to left, up and down, looking for anything out of the ordinary or any movement. Once he gets up to the hill, he told Ty that he’d caw three times like a crow if it’s safe or whistle like whippoorwill if it’s not. He used to play this as a game when he was a little boy. Now it’s for real and it doesn’t seem that different to him.
OOC:
Let me know what rolls are required Last edited March 25, 2024 3:49 pm
Mar 25, 2024 4:43 pm
Before leaving camp, Aldric finishes his conversation with Dufgal, seeing as the other two seem less verbally inclined.
"Nonsense, Dufgal! What happened between you and some asshole along the way has not impeded you from executing your duties. Mark my words, you will receive your share!"
At the base of the hill, Aldric looks up as if staring at a huge wave about to engulf them all.
Despite the initial look of exasperation, Aldric voices only resolution! "Child's play! Surely no witness of Pelagia has ever been defeated by a hill before, and I won't be the first!"
But he is happy for Dufgal to advance first, giving him time to wheeze his way to catching his breath.
"Nonsense, Dufgal! What happened between you and some asshole along the way has not impeded you from executing your duties. Mark my words, you will receive your share!"
At the base of the hill, Aldric looks up as if staring at a huge wave about to engulf them all.
Despite the initial look of exasperation, Aldric voices only resolution! "Child's play! Surely no witness of Pelagia has ever been defeated by a hill before, and I won't be the first!"
But he is happy for Dufgal to advance first, giving him time to wheeze his way to catching his breath.
Mar 26, 2024 1:44 am
"And what manner of things might have bested the followers of Pelagia in the past?" Anora asks, springing on the man’s utterance while they fill the time awaiting Dufgal’s return.
"Are there cities where she is the primary deity? Are her priests hunted and butchered by the followers of some god of solid-ground?" she goes on and on, prying into this faith she had barely heard of until meeting the man in front of her.
"Are there cities where she is the primary deity? Are her priests hunted and butchered by the followers of some god of solid-ground?" she goes on and on, prying into this faith she had barely heard of until meeting the man in front of her.
Mar 26, 2024 4:00 am
The murderous native of Garion’s Folly climbs, quiet as he can, towards the top of the hill as the others remain behind, engaging in their discourse and debates. The angle of the waning light reveals a trail that the big thug can follow — made by game or men, it seems to lead to the top. So Dufgal follows it, staying wary as he goes, listening, looking, moving as quietly as he can.
He smells it before he sees it.
Rot, and lots of it. Something is dead and decaying, and the wind tells Dufgal that it’s right at its rankest. As he closes in on the hilltop, which seems to be where the smell is coming from, the thief comes across a trio of findings on the path that give him pause — even if only for a moment. There, besides the path, in the low tangle of thorny brambles and the stalks of rushes that have lost their heads, he sees a thick-bladed dagger, a man or woman’s torn-off ear, and what looks like a forearm, complete with a bloody stump where the elbow was, and curled, stiff fingers on the hand…
He smells it before he sees it.
Rot, and lots of it. Something is dead and decaying, and the wind tells Dufgal that it’s right at its rankest. As he closes in on the hilltop, which seems to be where the smell is coming from, the thief comes across a trio of findings on the path that give him pause — even if only for a moment. There, besides the path, in the low tangle of thorny brambles and the stalks of rushes that have lost their heads, he sees a thick-bladed dagger, a man or woman’s torn-off ear, and what looks like a forearm, complete with a bloody stump where the elbow was, and curled, stiff fingers on the hand…
OOC:
The only roll that might yield something further at the moment would be a tracking type skill roll — DC 10, with Dulgal rolling 1d10 + INT to better understand the path he’s on.Mar 26, 2024 10:07 am
KCC says:
"And what manner of things might have bested the followers of Pelagia in the past?"KCC says:
"Are there cities where she is the primary deity? Are her priests hunted and butchered by the followers of some god of solid-ground?" she goes on and on, prying into this faith she had barely heard of until meeting the man in front of her."But I can tell you it's not an earth God that she quarrels with, but rather the moon God, Shuul."
Mar 26, 2024 2:15 pm
The hefty gongfarmer has a lifetime’s experience with foul smells, but something about this scene turns his stomach. What happened here? Who did this? Why so far away from any town? Why is no one here investigating? Don’t these parts belong to someone whose missing would be noticed? What are we supposed to do with this? Dufgal had never heard so many questions firing in his brain at once. He felt dizzy and took a long, deep breath before turning around to signal the crew. Did he caw or whistle?
He cawed three times and also retraced his steps a bit so he could warn them, especially the lady in blue. She may wish to lift her skirts for this.
He cawed three times and also retraced his steps a bit so he could warn them, especially the lady in blue. She may wish to lift her skirts for this.
Rolls
Investigation - (1d20)
(20) = 20
Mar 27, 2024 6:13 pm
Upon hearing Dufgal's caw, Ty turns to the others and smiles.
"Safe to go up, then!" he declares. Using his leather-wrapped "cane" for support, the elf starts up the hill.
"Safe to go up, then!" he declares. Using his leather-wrapped "cane" for support, the elf starts up the hill.
Mar 27, 2024 10:10 pm
Aldric sighs deeply before he begins the ascent, using the oar to pull himself up the slope. He grimaces when the smell hits him.
"The smell of death never bodes well," he says, ready to face whatever carcass Dufgal had discovered now. The trio of offerings are a surprise. "This is no simple murder. It has the feel of ceremony and ritual about it."
Aldric will visually examine the knife, the ear, and the hand in that order, looking for some kind of identifying marks or unusual qualities (aside from being unattached). He also looks to see if the arrangement might tell him something, such as if this were a sacrifice and to whom, for example.
"The smell of death never bodes well," he says, ready to face whatever carcass Dufgal had discovered now. The trio of offerings are a surprise. "This is no simple murder. It has the feel of ceremony and ritual about it."
Aldric will visually examine the knife, the ear, and the hand in that order, looking for some kind of identifying marks or unusual qualities (aside from being unattached). He also looks to see if the arrangement might tell him something, such as if this were a sacrifice and to whom, for example.
Mar 28, 2024 7:28 am
Anora glances at Ty when she knows the elf isn’t looking, and then scolds herself for wondering the thought at all in the first place…
Was this the work of his kin?…
She had heard tales of the elves and their inhuman rituals. How much of that talk had been tavern rumors, fishing for a coin to cover the price of the room for a night?
"The same beast as before?" she asks the others, as she keeps a fair distance from the greatest of the mess.
Was this the work of his kin?…
She had heard tales of the elves and their inhuman rituals. How much of that talk had been tavern rumors, fishing for a coin to cover the price of the room for a night?
"The same beast as before?" she asks the others, as she keeps a fair distance from the greatest of the mess.
Mar 29, 2024 12:18 am
THE GRISLY SCENE ATOP THE HILL (ALL)
Dufgal is examining the trails that criss-cross and cut through the low cover that mantles the hill, the moss and the brambles and sedge, as his trio of companions arrive.
It doesn’t take them long to discover that the ear and the hand aren’t the worst of it — far from it. At least four ruined bodies are scattered — literally — around the hilltop. The crest, with two large and crooked but leafless trees and a series of what look like tumbled standing stones, appears to be a campsite; the kind that gets used and reused many times over the years. There’s a deep fire pit, logs dragged near for sitting, a privy of sorts out of the wind and away from the cold ashes of the fire, and a whole collection of gear, packs and rough blankets and such.
Aldric is initially thinking some ritual might have been the end of these four men — rough-hewn hillfolk from their dress and the tangled and bloody remains of their dark beards — but the splatter and scatter of the remains is too random, too violent. Limb from limb they were torn. Beheaded, clawed open, eviscerated. Weapons are strewn about as well — this foursome died fighting, or perhaps fleeing.
Their bodies and parts are days old, maggot-filled, and stink to high heaven, ruining what would have perhaps been a good place to camp for the night.
Crouching near an armless torso that had homespun clothes torn from its pale, bloated back, Anora sees wounds she believes match those they saw on the elk before. Claws and teeth ended these men.
Dufgal is examining the trails that criss-cross and cut through the low cover that mantles the hill, the moss and the brambles and sedge, as his trio of companions arrive.
It doesn’t take them long to discover that the ear and the hand aren’t the worst of it — far from it. At least four ruined bodies are scattered — literally — around the hilltop. The crest, with two large and crooked but leafless trees and a series of what look like tumbled standing stones, appears to be a campsite; the kind that gets used and reused many times over the years. There’s a deep fire pit, logs dragged near for sitting, a privy of sorts out of the wind and away from the cold ashes of the fire, and a whole collection of gear, packs and rough blankets and such.
Aldric is initially thinking some ritual might have been the end of these four men — rough-hewn hillfolk from their dress and the tangled and bloody remains of their dark beards — but the splatter and scatter of the remains is too random, too violent. Limb from limb they were torn. Beheaded, clawed open, eviscerated. Weapons are strewn about as well — this foursome died fighting, or perhaps fleeing.
Their bodies and parts are days old, maggot-filled, and stink to high heaven, ruining what would have perhaps been a good place to camp for the night.
Crouching near an armless torso that had homespun clothes torn from its pale, bloated back, Anora sees wounds she believes match those they saw on the elk before. Claws and teeth ended these men.
Mar 29, 2024 1:17 am
"Beast, aye," replies Aldric. "Or demon. If four armed men were so utterly destroyed by it, I doubt we will fare much better. Let's be on our way."
Mar 29, 2024 1:55 am
I’se meant to buy another weapon back in town wit’ mah silver, but… well, you’se know how that went. Might’n I collect an abandoned blade here?
Dufgal begins to inventory the discarded metal.
Dufgal begins to inventory the discarded metal.
Mar 29, 2024 2:32 am
Tyravasiel-Llir seems to glance uneasily about, although with those weird, monochrome eyes, it's hard to be sure.
"We should try to get well away from here before we camp," he concurs. "And forego a fire, perhaps, unpleasant as that will be. Dufgal, make your choice and let's be off."
"We should try to get well away from here before we camp," he concurs. "And forego a fire, perhaps, unpleasant as that will be. Dufgal, make your choice and let's be off."
Mar 29, 2024 3:48 am
"Remember why we are here." Anora says, in a cold, commanding voice.
"I dare say we have the answer to why the men didn’t make it to town. The question is: Are these the ones we’ve been sent to find? Or are they simply those misfortunate enough to have our quarry hiding in their homes?" she says, assuming that the village folk would fear leaving their homes with a beast about.
"Do they look young?" she asks, steeling herself to look at faces of the men, looking for any familial similarities.
"I dare say we have the answer to why the men didn’t make it to town. The question is: Are these the ones we’ve been sent to find? Or are they simply those misfortunate enough to have our quarry hiding in their homes?" she says, assuming that the village folk would fear leaving their homes with a beast about.
"Do they look young?" she asks, steeling herself to look at faces of the men, looking for any familial similarities.
Mar 30, 2024 12:01 am
As Dufgal roots around for a weapon, Anona checks on the remains that look the most intact. And as bad as they are, she can see that these were not boys, not even young men. This were grizzled outlanders, wind-burned and scarred from years of hard living. Men who lived beyond the walls of civilization. Crudely made tattoos of red and green mark their skin in places, triangles and lines, circles and dots. They were each wearing hide or leather armor, were armed, and carried light packs rather than ones laden with goods. Perhaps the brigands they were warned about?
Regardless, this slaughter seemed to not be the end of Dolsten and his sons, so there is some hope in that.
Behind the azure-clad sorceress and her realizations, Dufgal dumps an arm-load of weapons onto the ground…
Regardless, this slaughter seemed to not be the end of Dolsten and his sons, so there is some hope in that.
Behind the azure-clad sorceress and her realizations, Dufgal dumps an arm-load of weapons onto the ground…
OOC:
Dufgal, please roll 1d10 twice.Mar 30, 2024 12:20 am
Trying to be quick, but checking the handles and blades, Dufgal searches the scene for his new weapon.
Rolls
Searchy search - (2d10)
(67) = 13
Mar 30, 2024 1:17 am
OOC:
Dufgal finds three well-used and not terribly well-made daggers, a javelin, a sling with a half-dozen stones, a hand axe and a thick-hafted spear.Mar 30, 2024 4:57 pm
The burly thief decides on the spear, the handaxe, and the sling/stones. He quickly tucks all but the spear into his belt and uses the spear shaft as his walking stick. He feels a bit like a little explorer for just a moment, recalling the times in his childhood he would disappear into the woods empty handed but return with all sorts of cool looking sticks and a head full of imagination.
Mar 31, 2024 12:02 am
"Waste not, want not, eh Dufgal? What an exemplary person! Pelagia approves. Now let's get the fuck out of here."
Last edited March 31, 2024 12:07 am
Mar 31, 2024 12:08 am
OOC:
The other weapons are obviously available for the taking. Are you all spending time going through the other belongings of this ex-crew?Either way… backing off to give you room to react and discuss.
Edit: And I see what the Sea Bitch’s bitch wants!
Mar 31, 2024 5:25 am
Dufgal stands in his ready position and says,
a diff’rent camp spot than this, yes?
a diff’rent camp spot than this, yes?
Mar 31, 2024 11:57 am
A man so afeared of liquid that the red stuff flowing through his own body scares him… the woman thinks, and struggles to see him as more than a frail, old man doddering his way through a final excursion in the wilds.
"Yes! We had better be away. Let’s hope that the people we intend to meet don’t recognize those effects." she says, giving Dufgal a warning glance. The man is smart enough to keep his takes from view, she suspected, but would be have put two and two together.
"Yes! We had better be away. Let’s hope that the people we intend to meet don’t recognize those effects." she says, giving Dufgal a warning glance. The man is smart enough to keep his takes from view, she suspected, but would be have put two and two together.
Apr 1, 2024 11:17 pm
DAY THREE - MAKING CAMP
With Dufgal now better armed, the foursome decides to move on from the ghastly scene with some haste. Back down the hill to the overgrown road they go, trying to put some distance between themselves and the site of the massacre before darkness falls. The weather is cool and damp — unpleasant, but not the drenching rain of the prior evening.
Bones are weary and faces are long and tired as they search for a place to set up camp…
With Dufgal now better armed, the foursome decides to move on from the ghastly scene with some haste. Back down the hill to the overgrown road they go, trying to put some distance between themselves and the site of the massacre before darkness falls. The weather is cool and damp — unpleasant, but not the drenching rain of the prior evening.
Bones are weary and faces are long and tired as they search for a place to set up camp…
OOC:
Everyone please roll Luck — 1d20 trying to hit or beat your current luck score. One success will find you a bare-bones camp; more successes will make it easier to rest and recover…Apr 2, 2024 12:38 am
The stars align for Aldric!He's so busy looking at the stars, he forgets to look for a camp site.
OOC:
oops, Aldric's luck should be a -1, so the result should be 16 Nope, luck is roll-under. 17 it is, vs my luck score of 7.Last edited April 2, 2024 4:25 pm
Rolls
Luck - (1d20+1)
(17) + 1 = 18
Apr 2, 2024 1:40 am
OOC:
Luck roll to find a decent spot for camp!Rolls
Luck Roll (10) - (1d20)
(11) = 11
Apr 2, 2024 10:40 pm
It's again after dark when the group decides to camp for the night, but this time they are feeling better about their situation. Two miles west of the macabre scene on the hilltop, off into the trees south of the King's Road, Dufgal finds a well-hidden shack. Creeping and spying, then knocking, reveals that the place appears to vacant, if not fully abandoned. It's a modest affair, likely a hermit's hovel, hunting shack or the like, and mouse and rat droppings make it clear the the most recent residents have four legs rather than two.
The place is half-rotten and a heavy rain will likely drizzle through the roof, but there are walls and a small stone hearth where a fire can be made. There are roughly-made cupboards that are bare, a work table, and a single foul-smelling straw mattress that looks like it might be the nest for the rodents. The old floorboards creak and the shutters on the lone window don't keep out the cold drafts, but it is a damn sight better resting place than they have seen west of Muckmire Fen so far.
Outside, the woods are quiet as the moon rises, barely visible through the boughs of the firs, and as the companions discover a splitting stump and broad axe in what passes for a yard. Against one side of the shed is a low, long wooden box with a lid; likely a larder.
The place is half-rotten and a heavy rain will likely drizzle through the roof, but there are walls and a small stone hearth where a fire can be made. There are roughly-made cupboards that are bare, a work table, and a single foul-smelling straw mattress that looks like it might be the nest for the rodents. The old floorboards creak and the shutters on the lone window don't keep out the cold drafts, but it is a damn sight better resting place than they have seen west of Muckmire Fen so far.
Outside, the woods are quiet as the moon rises, barely visible through the boughs of the firs, and as the companions discover a splitting stump and broad axe in what passes for a yard. Against one side of the shed is a low, long wooden box with a lid; likely a larder.
OOC:
Thank that critical success for this! What's the plan?Apr 3, 2024 3:05 am
The thief busies himself with trying to find a source of fresh or well water. He needs to clean his wounds.
OOC:
Are there pine trees or similar? He would also gather pine boughs to layer and sleep on if possible.Apr 3, 2024 5:25 am
"Ah, splendid find, Dufgal. Splendid." Aldric had been so busy watching the stars for signs that he had completely missed the hovel. He ducks his head as he enters, and inspects the lodge with a "beggars can't be choosers" attitude.
"Looks good. I'll clean up this rat-infested straw. A sad day for the snakes, ha!" Aldric will beat the shit out of the straw with his oar, then haul it outside. "Just like we used to do on the farm."
While he's outside, he'll keep a careful eye on that damned moon. You can never trust the moon. But if it doesn't make a move, he'll help Dufgal gather pine boughs.
"Looks good. I'll clean up this rat-infested straw. A sad day for the snakes, ha!" Aldric will beat the shit out of the straw with his oar, then haul it outside. "Just like we used to do on the farm."
While he's outside, he'll keep a careful eye on that damned moon. You can never trust the moon. But if it doesn't make a move, he'll help Dufgal gather pine boughs.
Last edited April 3, 2024 5:50 am
Apr 3, 2024 5:50 am
Once the boughs are collected and the hut secured as it can be, Dufgal beds down in a dry corner and goes right to sleep. He trusts that if the others seem watch necessary, they’ll wake him. Otherwise, he will take all the rest he can get knowing the hard push on the morrow.
Apr 3, 2024 10:19 am
"The rat burrow might serve as a better windshield than a bunk, Aldric. Unless you want to rise with fleas, and your Pelagia knows what else, perhaps we might use to block the chill from the window?" she offers, but isn’t willing to fight on the matter. She wouldn’t be near the thing, wherever it was that it ended up.
Apr 3, 2024 4:12 pm
"Well look at that, Anora the Blue knows a thing or two about living in a drafty cottage. What were you before you were 'The Blue?'"
Aldric will stack the hay just as Anora said while he listens to her answer.
Aldric will stack the hay just as Anora said while he listens to her answer.
Apr 3, 2024 5:33 pm
Beneath the rotten hay is the expected collection of vermin — small rodents scatter, mice or voles most likely, it’s difficult to tell. As those creatures scramble for crevices and cracks, a few three-inch-long brown millipedes snake and wind their way to safety as well… and beneath the wettest part of what was once bedding, fat yellow slugs beneath enacting their slow-motion getaway…
Apr 3, 2024 11:15 pm
"Doe-Hoof proves his worth again," Ty says, as he squats down to examine the cold hearth. "He'll be an asset to whatever community takes him in after the murder he's committed."
Should they risk a fire, with these walls to hide the light? Probably not. There would still be smoke, and that might attract the attention of brigands-- or a sharp-nosed predator.
Should they risk a fire, with these walls to hide the light? Probably not. There would still be smoke, and that might attract the attention of brigands-- or a sharp-nosed predator.
Apr 4, 2024 7:14 am
"Anora the Quite Unremarkable, I assure you." the wizardess answers, putting a shield up to the question. "Drafty cottages as far as the eye can see, yes. And more besides. Nothing worth telling, I’m afraid. Same as most people, save for my talents that pulled me from the village." she allows herself a short laugh then, and feels the day’s tiredness on her.
"I suppose I’ll have to craft a better story than that if I make a name for myself. What do folk expect of a wizard these days, I wonder."
"I suppose I’ll have to craft a better story than that if I make a name for myself. What do folk expect of a wizard these days, I wonder."
Apr 5, 2024 2:06 am
Aldric is stripping off his squeaky leathers while listening to Anora.
"Wait, you can laugh? I half expected you had traded away your mirth for your magical talents to some laughter-obsessed demon!"
Aldric's teasing is meant to come across as joking rather than mockery, and he flashed her a smile with an aim to help it land that way.
"Though, sharing this grueling, death-littered trail with the likes of us doesn't grant one many chances for a knee slapper, eh? Fucking hell, we're a sorry lot!"
He looks around the hovel as if to indicate
"I bet Ty has a wicked sense of humour. Ty! What passes for a joke in the Elf lands?"
"Wait, you can laugh? I half expected you had traded away your mirth for your magical talents to some laughter-obsessed demon!"
Aldric's teasing is meant to come across as joking rather than mockery, and he flashed her a smile with an aim to help it land that way.
"Though, sharing this grueling, death-littered trail with the likes of us doesn't grant one many chances for a knee slapper, eh? Fucking hell, we're a sorry lot!"
He looks around the hovel as if to indicate
"I bet Ty has a wicked sense of humour. Ty! What passes for a joke in the Elf lands?"
Apr 5, 2024 4:08 am
"Everyone in this hovel," Tyravasiel-Llir answers dryly. He seems not to realize that this might be offensive. "Myself included, for winding up here. But such is the will of the Wave-Breasted Wench, is it not, Father Aldric?"
The elf shrugs out of his pack and sets it against the rotting boards of one wall, to serve him as a makeshift pillow for the night.
The elf shrugs out of his pack and sets it against the rotting boards of one wall, to serve him as a makeshift pillow for the night.
Apr 5, 2024 6:15 am
"I knew you would not disappoint, Ty. Indeed, Pelagia's will is as vast as her mercy is shallow. But, it is not infinite. Not every occurrence is preordained by her Fishiness. After all, even the ocean has shores."
And Aldric was depending on that.
And Aldric was depending on that.
OOC:
good to move on! Aldric will take first watch. Last edited April 5, 2024 6:16 am
Apr 5, 2024 7:55 pm
OOC:
Safe to presume elves might not sleep, but need a meditative state for a few hours each night kind of thing? I’ll dig through the book tonight.Apr 6, 2024 6:51 am
DAY FOUR - HIROT WITHIN REACH?
Night passes quietly if not uneventfully for the four travelers in the hovel. Each of them suffer dark, troubling dreams of one sort or another, and while none of them discuss their visions come the morning, they are each of them quieter than usual as they get underway in a heavy, low-lying, early morning fog. If good time can be made on the road today they will find themselves at the village they seek before nightfall, they all agree after a quick look at the rough map their benefactor provided to them.
Many hours later, the brooding forests and windswept moors that the group has been traversing through gradually blur into an endless grey, wet and cold mists that cling to the ground capped by dark clouds above. They are getting close to the base of the Trolltooth Mountains by now, but there is no sign of those looming, craggy peaks in this gloomy weather. Throughout the day, ravens are seen circling silently overhead on several occasions, and at least twice wolves bay in the distance.
Somewhere, hopefully not far ahead, lies Hirot... and maybe within it, the answers they seek, a warm hearth, strong wine and good company.
Conversation amongst the quartet ceases as muffles screams and voices come to them from ahead, up the road. At first those sounds are disembodied and seem to form from the murk itself, but then, there -- silhouettes, shapes in the mist! Several figures, perhaps driving one before them...
Aldric, please roll for your spells, and everyone give me some sense of where you are on the road -- are you traveling 2 x 2, and if so, who is in the front line vs. the back, etc.
It's now about suppertime / late afternoon crossing over into early evening.
Night passes quietly if not uneventfully for the four travelers in the hovel. Each of them suffer dark, troubling dreams of one sort or another, and while none of them discuss their visions come the morning, they are each of them quieter than usual as they get underway in a heavy, low-lying, early morning fog. If good time can be made on the road today they will find themselves at the village they seek before nightfall, they all agree after a quick look at the rough map their benefactor provided to them.
Many hours later, the brooding forests and windswept moors that the group has been traversing through gradually blur into an endless grey, wet and cold mists that cling to the ground capped by dark clouds above. They are getting close to the base of the Trolltooth Mountains by now, but there is no sign of those looming, craggy peaks in this gloomy weather. Throughout the day, ravens are seen circling silently overhead on several occasions, and at least twice wolves bay in the distance.
Somewhere, hopefully not far ahead, lies Hirot... and maybe within it, the answers they seek, a warm hearth, strong wine and good company.
Conversation amongst the quartet ceases as muffles screams and voices come to them from ahead, up the road. At first those sounds are disembodied and seem to form from the murk itself, but then, there -- silhouettes, shapes in the mist! Several figures, perhaps driving one before them...
OOC:
Alright, let me know if you wanted to do anything else at the shack and we can fold it in. Otherwise, eat a day's ration of food, recover 1hp if you're lacking any, and recover 1 point of Attribute damage in each Attribute that's suffered damage. Dufgal alone also recovers a point of Luck (only Thieves and Halflings do that; Luck is *way* harder for everyone else to recover). Oh, and for anyone who wants to lean into it, these dreams were about losing control, about aggression, violence, disruption and entropy.Aldric, please roll for your spells, and everyone give me some sense of where you are on the road -- are you traveling 2 x 2, and if so, who is in the front line vs. the back, etc.
It's now about suppertime / late afternoon crossing over into early evening.
Apr 6, 2024 7:19 am
Dufgal wakes in the first light of the morning surprised that he wasn’t called on to take watch at all. He wouldn’t call it a good night of sleep but it was restorative and the dreams he had seemed on par with his waking life. He shrugged them off and began readying for the long jaunt to Hiroyuki and the resolution of the mystery that they were retained to sort out. His instinct told him that they would be successful, but that the pay would not be worth the trouble. He said none of this to the others. In fact, he said nothing at all to anyone. His actions were clear. It was time to push on. Although Dufgal did not feel particularly chatty, he found himself walking beside Aldric and listening to the quirky man of the cloth. He felt kinship between them growing and wondered why this person felt like more like a fellow thief than a holy man. The holy men that Dufgal had encountered were certainly less interesting than this man. The former gongfarmer smirked imperceptibly. He was somehow certain that he would kill for Aldric and likely would need to before this adventure ended.
OOC:
Stats updated.Apr 6, 2024 10:47 am
Anora had wondered if she ought not to carry her blade quite so close to her person, given the dreams of the night before. She had watched as the thing rose and fell in wide arcs, through the fog of sleep.
When the figures came trundling through the mist, she was glad she had shaken off her morning’s superstitions, for she pulled the blade free and placed its point between herself and the approaching figures.
"Halt! You approach Anora the Blue and her companions." she challenges them, as if the name meant anything in this part of the world.
This… or any other part, as a matter of fact.
When the figures came trundling through the mist, she was glad she had shaken off her morning’s superstitions, for she pulled the blade free and placed its point between herself and the approaching figures.
"Halt! You approach Anora the Blue and her companions." she challenges them, as if the name meant anything in this part of the world.
This… or any other part, as a matter of fact.
Apr 6, 2024 2:53 pm
When Anora addresses the approaching figures, Dufgal slips off the path using the mist as cover. He finds a hidden position from which a sneak attack would be easy if warranted.
Last edited April 6, 2024 2:54 pm
Apr 6, 2024 5:00 pm
OOC:
Today's spells, courtesy of the the Bitch Queen, are Detect Magic, Food of the Gods, Holy Sanctuary, and Word of Command! Stamina is now restored to full. Once they strike out on the road, Aldric continues Dufgal's education into spiritual matters. He opines on such matters as the benefit of crippling natural disasters on the cycle of human progress, and the great and evil threat posed by the fucking moon. Although Aldric is making half this stuff up, Dufgal's audience serves as a whetstone for his rhetoric, sharpening his ideas and his delivery.
When they come upon the strangers on the road, he dons his shield and presents his oar, both marked with the Bitch Queen's sigil, and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Anora. Though terrified (for should he die, his soul belongs Pelagia), he knows that showing weakness invites violence.
Last edited April 6, 2024 5:40 pm
Rolls
Spells - (1d11, 1d11, 1d11, 1d11)
1d11 : (6) = 6
1d11 : (5) = 5
1d11 : (11) = 11
1d11 : (4) = 4
Apr 6, 2024 11:25 pm
Tyravasiel-Llir dreamed of the exquisite and diabolical means of murder than his long-lived people had fashioned over the eons, with the deft hand and aesthetic sensibility of sculptors. The dark lady whose honor demands Tyravasiel's blood knows and has practiced many of them. Rituals of torment that would shatter the minds of these humans; hemmed in by their mayfly lives, they couldn't even conceive of the point of such cruelty.
The dreams have left Ty restless, and distracted to the point that Anora calls out to the figures in the fog before he realizes they are there. Hurriedly, the elf pulls down his blindfold to hide his too-green eyes. He stoops over his cane, once more the old, blind beggar with the hunch under his cloak.
The dreams have left Ty restless, and distracted to the point that Anora calls out to the figures in the fog before he realizes they are there. Hurriedly, the elf pulls down his blindfold to hide his too-green eyes. He stoops over his cane, once more the old, blind beggar with the hunch under his cloak.
Last edited April 6, 2024 11:28 pm
Apr 7, 2024 2:02 am
Light-footed Dufgal slinks off as Anora calls out her sword-girded challenge, and as grim peasants, their dirt-lined faces drawn with fear, emerge from the gloom. All bear simple weapons -- wood axes, cudgels, pitchforks, long knives -- and cast worried looks at the woods on both sides of them, and at the travelers. The mob has been driving a gagged and partially bound raven-haired woman before them -- the source of the muffled screams. A terrified, pleading look mars what would otherwise be a pretty face, and she squirms and fights with each step she takes until a burly man behind her shoves her down face-first onto the road.
Trailing the now murmuring, hesitating mob are solemn figures astride warhorses, the telltale glint of armor flashing beneath their wolf-skin cloaks. There must be a half-dozen or more of them deeper in the mist, based on the hoofbeats that now pound the road.
"We don't want no trouble!" one of the men in the lead shouts before the riders arrive, brandishing a heavy felling axe. When the bound girl shouted into her gag and tried to get up, another man knelt and prevented her from rising, causing her to thrash in the mud.
"S-stand aside and let us pass!" the man with the axe yelled, his knuckles white on the haft of his weapon.
Trailing the now murmuring, hesitating mob are solemn figures astride warhorses, the telltale glint of armor flashing beneath their wolf-skin cloaks. There must be a half-dozen or more of them deeper in the mist, based on the hoofbeats that now pound the road.
"We don't want no trouble!" one of the men in the lead shouts before the riders arrive, brandishing a heavy felling axe. When the bound girl shouted into her gag and tried to get up, another man knelt and prevented her from rising, causing her to thrash in the mud.
"S-stand aside and let us pass!" the man with the axe yelled, his knuckles white on the haft of his weapon.
Apr 7, 2024 8:29 am
Anora takes in the haggard looking woman who is thrown to the floor. A witch, she was sure the village folk would argue. She’d heard tell of the same story a hundred times or more. It was luck more than anything that had saved her from a similar fate.
Perhaps they feared the arcane. Perhaps they feared it enough to send them fleeing back to their hovels. Though, perhaps they feared it just enough to kill the witch, while showing little fear of binding her. Such a stroke of luck would have Anora bound alongside the raven-haired woman before long, if she revealed her gift.
"You startled us." she says, lowering her weapon a fraction. "This one here serves the Mistqueen." she starts, motioning to water cleric and his oar. She throws her hands up to the wet air all around her, as if to show Pelagia’s water prowess in the very air.
"The Drowned One is another name you may know her by. We are here to deliver the woman to her. You may hand her over and we shall attend to her ourselves."
Perhaps they feared the arcane. Perhaps they feared it enough to send them fleeing back to their hovels. Though, perhaps they feared it just enough to kill the witch, while showing little fear of binding her. Such a stroke of luck would have Anora bound alongside the raven-haired woman before long, if she revealed her gift.
"You startled us." she says, lowering her weapon a fraction. "This one here serves the Mistqueen." she starts, motioning to water cleric and his oar. She throws her hands up to the wet air all around her, as if to show Pelagia’s water prowess in the very air.
"The Drowned One is another name you may know her by. We are here to deliver the woman to her. You may hand her over and we shall attend to her ourselves."
Last edited April 7, 2024 3:56 pm
Apr 7, 2024 2:07 pm
Aldric plays along with Anora's ploy. He advances to the raven-haired woman and helps her out of the mud.
"Ahh, she is exactly as she was in my vision, sent to me by the gods. Filthy bitch!"
He slaps her, open handed, across the face, hard enough to send her staggering. Then he turns and addresses the mob.
"Best you all pay heed, for Pelagia watches here and now, and will hold you in judgement for your actions. Woe be to the mortal that stands in the way of divine retribution!"
"You are permitted to scream your grievances into the mist before we take her. Your words will be like anchors that will drag her to the bottom of the sea."
"Ahh, she is exactly as she was in my vision, sent to me by the gods. Filthy bitch!"
He slaps her, open handed, across the face, hard enough to send her staggering. Then he turns and addresses the mob.
"Best you all pay heed, for Pelagia watches here and now, and will hold you in judgement for your actions. Woe be to the mortal that stands in the way of divine retribution!"
"You are permitted to scream your grievances into the mist before we take her. Your words will be like anchors that will drag her to the bottom of the sea."
Last edited April 7, 2024 2:09 pm
Apr 7, 2024 2:29 pm
Dufgal, laying in wait, is quite amazed and impressed by the ruse the two are creating. Yet, he knows too well how villagers love their vigilante justice. He readies his newfound spear just in case.
Apr 7, 2024 3:49 pm
Anora's explanations and declarations are met with confused looks from the crowd of armed villagers. "Drowned One?" the man with the axe asks, "Do... do you mean the Hound?"
Before the enchantress can answer, forward strides Aldric, playing along as he helps the also bewildered-looking woman from the mud of the road. Stood up straight, she looks not so witch-like as she does... perhaps barmaid-like? Or some other vocation where putting a bit of flesh on display loosens coins from fingers. The girl is perhaps twenty, and well-formed. She wears a pretty but homespun skirt, a leather apron, and a blouse and cinched jerkin that rather purposefully put a good portion of the young woman's cleavage on display. She is not dressed for the weather or any kind of journey, and tries to utter thanks to her would-be savior through her gag, but then the man backhands her back into the mud, insulting the stunned girl as she hits the ground again.
The whole mob gasps, closes ranks and retreats a step at this -- they are clearly both shocked by the priest's actions, and not terribly ready for a fight.
And that's then that the horsemen arrive.
"Make way! Out of the way!" a deep and coarse voice calls out, and quickly enough the mob parts to allow the armed men on horseback to push through to the front. They look dressed for full-on war, these warriors, and they bristle with armor, helms, shields, spears, axes and swords. Seven mounted men ride to the flanks of the road as Aldric shouts of retribution and grievances, and two of them bare steel when they see Anora's drawn but lowered sword.
"What foolery is this?" a hoarse bellow comes from an eighth rider, the last to arrive, a huge man who is astride the largest and most powerful horse of the lot by a good measure. A tangled black and gray beard erupts from the man's half-helm, and with his broad shoulders and barrel chest the leader of this grim procession must weigh close to twenty stone.
"Out of the way, whoever you all are!" he bellows before turning in his saddle to the mob. As he does, there's a wince on this face that is perhaps evidence that he in some pain or discomfort. "Girl the girl on her feet, take her to the standing stones!"
Before the enchantress can answer, forward strides Aldric, playing along as he helps the also bewildered-looking woman from the mud of the road. Stood up straight, she looks not so witch-like as she does... perhaps barmaid-like? Or some other vocation where putting a bit of flesh on display loosens coins from fingers. The girl is perhaps twenty, and well-formed. She wears a pretty but homespun skirt, a leather apron, and a blouse and cinched jerkin that rather purposefully put a good portion of the young woman's cleavage on display. She is not dressed for the weather or any kind of journey, and tries to utter thanks to her would-be savior through her gag, but then the man backhands her back into the mud, insulting the stunned girl as she hits the ground again.
The whole mob gasps, closes ranks and retreats a step at this -- they are clearly both shocked by the priest's actions, and not terribly ready for a fight.
Thegns
"Make way! Out of the way!" a deep and coarse voice calls out, and quickly enough the mob parts to allow the armed men on horseback to push through to the front. They look dressed for full-on war, these warriors, and they bristle with armor, helms, shields, spears, axes and swords. Seven mounted men ride to the flanks of the road as Aldric shouts of retribution and grievances, and two of them bare steel when they see Anora's drawn but lowered sword.
"What foolery is this?" a hoarse bellow comes from an eighth rider, the last to arrive, a huge man who is astride the largest and most powerful horse of the lot by a good measure. A tangled black and gray beard erupts from the man's half-helm, and with his broad shoulders and barrel chest the leader of this grim procession must weigh close to twenty stone.
"Out of the way, whoever you all are!" he bellows before turning in his saddle to the mob. As he does, there's a wince on this face that is perhaps evidence that he in some pain or discomfort. "Girl the girl on her feet, take her to the standing stones!"
Apr 7, 2024 4:02 pm
Dufgal plays the wait-and-see game hoping his crew will do the same. The numbers are just not on their side at this point.
OOC:
Clearly the thief knows little of the game-changing power of magic.Apr 7, 2024 5:31 pm
"In the name of the Gods, what is happening here?" Aldric demands. His voice is strong, but physically, he won't stand firm. He will ebb and flow with the force of the horse-riders, careful not to be in danger of trampling.
Apr 7, 2024 5:45 pm
When the riders approach, Ty grits his teeth and his blindfold crumples over drawn brows.
Well here are poor odds. Of what consequence to us is the big-breasted human? I suppose some amusement might be had of her, if the yokels can be chased off...
"Is that the clop of hooves I hear?" he cries suddenly. "The jingle of bridles? Those are the sounds of substantial men!"
Ty ambles forward on his cane, coincidentally placing himself square in the lead rider's path, as if unaware in his blindness that he's impeding the column's progress.
"Noble sirs, have you alms for a poor pilgrim who hungers upon your road? Surely such generosity as you can spare would bless your business at these stones, whatever it may be."
Well here are poor odds. Of what consequence to us is the big-breasted human? I suppose some amusement might be had of her, if the yokels can be chased off...
"Is that the clop of hooves I hear?" he cries suddenly. "The jingle of bridles? Those are the sounds of substantial men!"
Ty ambles forward on his cane, coincidentally placing himself square in the lead rider's path, as if unaware in his blindness that he's impeding the column's progress.
"Noble sirs, have you alms for a poor pilgrim who hungers upon your road? Surely such generosity as you can spare would bless your business at these stones, whatever it may be."
Thegns
Apr 8, 2024 3:03 am
Thegns
"Substantial men, aye," shouts the big warrior from his saddle. "You face the Jarl of Hirot, and his thegns! Now step aside beggars, so that we may attend to our grim business!"
Lowering his voice and his axe, the villager nearest Aldric quietly adds, "The girl is to be offered to the beast. So that it does not wreak its violence on the village. We are cursed, all of us, truly."
On the ground, the girl swears an unintelligible blue streak and tries to get up, only to have two villagers 'help' her by dragging her back to her feet.
"Move!" the Jarl shouts, spit flying from his lips as he suddenly urges his mount forward. "We've no time for parley! To the stones!"
Apr 8, 2024 3:13 am
"The Hound. Yes… Many are the names. Though this man has taken to calling her…" and she hesitates before saying the distasteful word. "… the Bitch." she lies, or rather repurposes a truth.
Fearing she can’t save the woman here on the road, Anora stands aside, and ushers Aldric and the others to do the same. The horsemen had tipped the scales against them, but they had revealed the reason they had been contracted to travel this way.
"The Mistqueen watches you. She awaits your offering." she says, putting out a hand to guide the blind elf out of the way of horses.
The girl could give them information about the men they seek, if she could only speak with her alone.
Would the villagers wait and watch to see if their offering had been accepted?
Fearing she can’t save the woman here on the road, Anora stands aside, and ushers Aldric and the others to do the same. The horsemen had tipped the scales against them, but they had revealed the reason they had been contracted to travel this way.
"The Mistqueen watches you. She awaits your offering." she says, putting out a hand to guide the blind elf out of the way of horses.
The girl could give them information about the men they seek, if she could only speak with her alone.
Would the villagers wait and watch to see if their offering had been accepted?
Apr 8, 2024 3:41 am
The unlikely thief sees the encounter unfolding without real answers to any of the mysteries. He follows at a safe distance. He trusts his crew to signal him if they wish to call him off.
Apr 8, 2024 5:30 am
As Anora ushers him aside, Aldric struggles to come to terms with the outcome of this event. He had told them, quite forcefully, of the will of Pelagia. And they ignored him.
A wise man might be grateful, for Aldric knew full well he was talking out of his ass when he demanded the girl. These "thegns" might have taken an ill liking to him and run him down. Or, taken the lot of them as sacrifices, to spare their own folk. But they simply ignored him.
He looked at the woman he'd slapped in an attempt to free her. Some men in his shoes would be reflecting that, rather than saving the woman, he had merely added to her injustice. But Aldric was preoccupied with his excellent theatrics, and how they had failed to illicit much of a reaction.
It dawned on him that they were very concerned about the beast. He could relate, given his relationship with Pelagia. But, this was just a beast. Sure, they had seen how it had ripped people to pieces. But, they were many men strong, with mounted fighters. Surely, with polearms and ropes, this lot was the match for any earthly animal? But they were tossing their own barmaids at it, like Pelagia herself had manifested in the forest.
He finally turned back to the raven-haired barmaid with a sigh. A barmaid was a terrible thing to waste. He quickly consults the man that explained the sacrifice to him. "What exactly is this beast that everyone is going on about? How long has it afflicted the region?"
A wise man might be grateful, for Aldric knew full well he was talking out of his ass when he demanded the girl. These "thegns" might have taken an ill liking to him and run him down. Or, taken the lot of them as sacrifices, to spare their own folk. But they simply ignored him.
He looked at the woman he'd slapped in an attempt to free her. Some men in his shoes would be reflecting that, rather than saving the woman, he had merely added to her injustice. But Aldric was preoccupied with his excellent theatrics, and how they had failed to illicit much of a reaction.
It dawned on him that they were very concerned about the beast. He could relate, given his relationship with Pelagia. But, this was just a beast. Sure, they had seen how it had ripped people to pieces. But, they were many men strong, with mounted fighters. Surely, with polearms and ropes, this lot was the match for any earthly animal? But they were tossing their own barmaids at it, like Pelagia herself had manifested in the forest.
He finally turned back to the raven-haired barmaid with a sigh. A barmaid was a terrible thing to waste. He quickly consults the man that explained the sacrifice to him. "What exactly is this beast that everyone is going on about? How long has it afflicted the region?"
Apr 8, 2024 5:31 am
It takes a moment after Anora coaxes her fellows out of the way for the unnerved mob to reorganize and resume their march. The black-haired girl continues to resist, so they end up practically carrying her as they veer off into the misty woods on the north side of the King's Road. Aldric gets a brief answer to his question as the man he was speaking with marches off with the other armed villagers: "A demon-wolf! A monstrous, unkillable hound! Set upon us sinners, Father Beacom says!"
The Jarl looks long and hard at the wizard in blue from behind the eye-holes in his heavy helm, then turns and follows the crowd, clearly intending to supervise the proceedings. He draws his men with him -- his thegns -- as he goes... all except one. When some distance has opened between the trio on the road and the departing rear ranks of the mob, that warrior removes his helm, revealing he is a lean-faced, older man with a white beard and little hair on his head. One eye squints as he gestures up the road, towards Hirot.
"You are not far from our village, travelers. You'll want to shelter there for the night, even if Morgan's blood sates the demon. It's unwise and unsafe to be outside the walls after sunfall."
The thegn's horse shifts sideways, seeming nervous as the other warriors leave them behind, so he clicks his tongue to calm the mare and nods at Anora, Ty, and Aldric. "I am Orioc, and I will find you tonight."
And with that, Orioc puts his helmet back on, then spurs his horse to catch up with his leader and fellow villagers.
The Jarl looks long and hard at the wizard in blue from behind the eye-holes in his heavy helm, then turns and follows the crowd, clearly intending to supervise the proceedings. He draws his men with him -- his thegns -- as he goes... all except one. When some distance has opened between the trio on the road and the departing rear ranks of the mob, that warrior removes his helm, revealing he is a lean-faced, older man with a white beard and little hair on his head. One eye squints as he gestures up the road, towards Hirot.
Orioc
The thegn's horse shifts sideways, seeming nervous as the other warriors leave them behind, so he clicks his tongue to calm the mare and nods at Anora, Ty, and Aldric. "I am Orioc, and I will find you tonight."
And with that, Orioc puts his helmet back on, then spurs his horse to catch up with his leader and fellow villagers.
OOC:
You're being left alone on the road for now... there seems to be nothing preventing you from heading towards the village, or perhaps tagging along with the crowd.Apr 8, 2024 1:24 pm
As the grim procession filters into the woods north of the road, Tyravasiel straightens from his elderly stoop. He keeps his blindfold on, just in case.
"Well! Hard luck to her. She was quite pretty as humans go," he concludes, once he's sure that the locals are out of earshot. "On to Hirot, then?"
"Well! Hard luck to her. She was quite pretty as humans go," he concludes, once he's sure that the locals are out of earshot. "On to Hirot, then?"
Apr 8, 2024 5:12 pm
[ +- ] Our task
"Your task is a simple one. This woman, here, to my right — this is Anora the Blue. She is an — an agent of mine. Of the Guild’s. And she has an important task to complete in the far village of Hirot. Hirot that lies across the Muckmire, several days into the hinterlands beyond that far shore. Tis a misty and lonely journey, not safe for a high-born woman to make alone. There are outlaws and savage men who roam the moors and forests of the west; you’ll need to be on your guard to dissuade them from harassing her."
Turning to look at Senka briefly, Relf says simply, "Wine," before the woman disappears and comes back minutes later with a decanter filled with ruby-red fluid and a tray of delicately fluted glasses.
"I have tasked Anora with finding a friend of mine. A man by the name of Dolsten. He lives in Hirot with his wife and sons, and always comes with his boys to the Harvest Faire. That fair was a fortnight ago, and Dolsten did not come." Pausing to raise his glass after Senka fills it, and all the others, Relfarious drains it and continues.
"Hirot’s meager harvests are not something the town can survive a winter on, so they always bring pelts, timber, and other items to trade — for pickled eel, for vegetables and livestock. Dolsten and his lads not coming means something is amiss. Anora is to find out what… and I wish to employ you three to safekeep her and likewise find out what you can about what’s happened there. A simple contract that will see you there and back again."
Turning to look at Senka briefly, Relf says simply, "Wine," before the woman disappears and comes back minutes later with a decanter filled with ruby-red fluid and a tray of delicately fluted glasses.
"I have tasked Anora with finding a friend of mine. A man by the name of Dolsten. He lives in Hirot with his wife and sons, and always comes with his boys to the Harvest Faire. That fair was a fortnight ago, and Dolsten did not come." Pausing to raise his glass after Senka fills it, and all the others, Relfarious drains it and continues.
"Hirot’s meager harvests are not something the town can survive a winter on, so they always bring pelts, timber, and other items to trade — for pickled eel, for vegetables and livestock. Dolsten and his lads not coming means something is amiss. Anora is to find out what… and I wish to employ you three to safekeep her and likewise find out what you can about what’s happened there. A simple contract that will see you there and back again."
Apr 9, 2024 12:27 am
Dufgal follows the pack of thegns and villagers for a short while when the armored man who stayed behind to give Anora, Aldric, and the blind beggar more information caught up and passed him by. It gave him pause that he could no longer see the others. Should he continue his pursuit in service of curiosity not knowing if he had the support of the crew? Or should he return and take their next direction? He tried to find his true opinion, but found a deep chasm. He didn’t have any stake in this mission or that. His only motive was to leave home and now that he’s left, he lacks clarity of purpose. Is he meant for service? Perhaps so. Perhaps not. One thing is clear, he is no hero. He is but a meager cutpurse following an elf who relishes in deceit, a holy man who seems to have many skeletons in his closet, and a high class witch who has yet to prove her craft. Where does he fit into all this? Could he find gold and glory with sword and spell?
Dufgal’s feet had made the decision for him. As he began thinking about his crewmates, he unconsciously started back toward them. He could see them discussing their next move. He waited under cover just listening. He may even be waiting to see if they will leave without him and reveal his destiny to be truly alone.
Dufgal’s feet had made the decision for him. As he began thinking about his crewmates, he unconsciously started back toward them. He could see them discussing their next move. He waited under cover just listening. He may even be waiting to see if they will leave without him and reveal his destiny to be truly alone.
OOC:
That took an emo turn :/Last edited April 9, 2024 2:40 am
Apr 9, 2024 6:21 am
"Don’t you suppose the same thing could have already happened to this Dolsten?" Anora asks, irritated at having been outdone through threat of arms.
"Unless they’ve resolved to sacrifice the women first, and make themselves a monastic order." she goes on, assuming that no village of men would do themselves out of all the women. It was likely that their man had been sacrificed already.
"Let’s wait for Dufgal’s report. It’s as likely as not that he returns in locked arms with the woman." she says, imagining their man taking the daring rescue upon himself.
"Unless they’ve resolved to sacrifice the women first, and make themselves a monastic order." she goes on, assuming that no village of men would do themselves out of all the women. It was likely that their man had been sacrificed already.
"Let’s wait for Dufgal’s report. It’s as likely as not that he returns in locked arms with the woman." she says, imagining their man taking the daring rescue upon himself.
Apr 11, 2024 1:59 am
Ty looks around him, as if only now realizing that the big thief is not standing with them.
"Oh, he's gone off again," the elf muses. "Are we certain that Dufgal is gathering matter for such a report? Obviously we've not discussed it. He could be picking the villagers' pockets, or murdering stragglers."
Tyravasiel-Llir says this without a whiff of disapproval.
"Oh, he's gone off again," the elf muses. "Are we certain that Dufgal is gathering matter for such a report? Obviously we've not discussed it. He could be picking the villagers' pockets, or murdering stragglers."
Tyravasiel-Llir says this without a whiff of disapproval.
Apr 11, 2024 2:37 am
Aldric drops his trousers and takes a piss on the side of the road. While he waters the plants, he
"You got Dufgal all wrong. He doesn't murder stragglers, he murders assholes. Should get a bloody medal for it, too - there's far too many of those in the world."
He shakes out the last drops and rejoins the others. "Well, since we're waiting..."
He finds some shade under a tree, closes his eyes, and takes a snooze.
"You got Dufgal all wrong. He doesn't murder stragglers, he murders assholes. Should get a bloody medal for it, too - there's far too many of those in the world."
He shakes out the last drops and rejoins the others. "Well, since we're waiting..."
He finds some shade under a tree, closes his eyes, and takes a snooze.
Apr 11, 2024 1:09 pm
OOC:
Awful week at work. Hope to be back to normal tonight or tomorrow night. Need to be brief here…Apr 11, 2024 2:39 pm
The fledging thief’s heart leaps and sinks upon hearing the words of the magewoman. She thinks highly of him! And he will disappoint her if he returns empty-handed.
Then hearing the blind beggar elf continue to dredge up his fray with Orfum makes Dufgal think he may need to repeat the offense just to shut him up. He grits his teeth to try to calm down but it doesn’t help. His breathing is ragged.
Luckily and unluckily, Brother Aldric decides to release his trouser snake in full view of the thief to relieve himself. The urine trickled downhill towards Dufgal’s boot which nearly made him break cover. But the respect of the others won out. They must think of my value as outweighing any transgressions. At least this interruption got his mind off Ty.
He braced himself and stepped through the bracken bush and into the clearing where the trio stands.
I’se seen them standing stones where they mean to sacrifice that chesty wench. Not but an hour’s slow goings from ‘ere.
He paused to see if the lady was pleased with his intel. Now he addressed the men directly.
ain’t safe for us to try anythin’ on account of them armored fighters. They'se too much for us. We'se s’posed to protect the lady, right?
Dufgal felt the risk of offering an opinion, but he was trying to find his voice in this crew and the only thing he found that he could care about was the task of protecting Lady Anora.
Then hearing the blind beggar elf continue to dredge up his fray with Orfum makes Dufgal think he may need to repeat the offense just to shut him up. He grits his teeth to try to calm down but it doesn’t help. His breathing is ragged.
Luckily and unluckily, Brother Aldric decides to release his trouser snake in full view of the thief to relieve himself. The urine trickled downhill towards Dufgal’s boot which nearly made him break cover. But the respect of the others won out. They must think of my value as outweighing any transgressions. At least this interruption got his mind off Ty.
He braced himself and stepped through the bracken bush and into the clearing where the trio stands.
I’se seen them standing stones where they mean to sacrifice that chesty wench. Not but an hour’s slow goings from ‘ere.
He paused to see if the lady was pleased with his intel. Now he addressed the men directly.
ain’t safe for us to try anythin’ on account of them armored fighters. They'se too much for us. We'se s’posed to protect the lady, right?
Dufgal felt the risk of offering an opinion, but he was trying to find his voice in this crew and the only thing he found that he could care about was the task of protecting Lady Anora.
Last edited April 11, 2024 2:43 pm
Apr 13, 2024 11:31 am
They were supposed to protect Anora. She had hoped that her protection could be extended over the mistreated woman. Perhaps their own attempted ruse had made the villagers suspicious and sealed the woman’s fate all the more. They may not leave her be now.
"Perhaps we can beat them back to the village and speak with some of those less inclined towards sacrifice." she says finally, with a defeated sigh. She supposed the most reasonable people would have stayed behind, rather than march a woman to her death.
"Perhaps we can beat them back to the village and speak with some of those less inclined towards sacrifice." she says finally, with a defeated sigh. She supposed the most reasonable people would have stayed behind, rather than march a woman to her death.
Apr 13, 2024 5:24 pm
Aldric responds to the news with a shrug. The whole world was crazy, and he had his own problems. He was more concerned with his inability to command these cunts than he was with the woman's fate.
Part of what preoccupied him was that he had chosen not to draw upon Pelagia's power during the confrontation. She had even wash up a spell of command upon his mental shores. But, he had been too intimidadted to use it. Not so much of the thegns, but of the interaction with Pelagia, however tangential it would be to her consciousness. The thought of her being even slightly aware of him again made him need to take another piss.
After Anora announces her intention to head into Hirot, he is happy to move forward with their venture and put this behind him. "Onward, then!"
He begins striding toward the town, with an even more exaggerated pompous air than usual.
Part of what preoccupied him was that he had chosen not to draw upon Pelagia's power during the confrontation. She had even wash up a spell of command upon his mental shores. But, he had been too intimidadted to use it. Not so much of the thegns, but of the interaction with Pelagia, however tangential it would be to her consciousness. The thought of her being even slightly aware of him again made him need to take another piss.
After Anora announces her intention to head into Hirot, he is happy to move forward with their venture and put this behind him. "Onward, then!"
He begins striding toward the town, with an even more exaggerated pompous air than usual.
Apr 13, 2024 11:43 pm
HIROT!
It is hard to tell with the dour weather, the fog and the constant drizzle, but the sun is near setting when the three men and the Evoker arrive at the gates of Hirot. Nearly four full days of travel it has taken them, but finally their destination is in sight. In the few hundred pace distance between where they met the Jarl and his men, and the evidently doomed girl and the villagers, the wooded moors have given way to dark, wet, mist-filled fields. Those fields are spotted with farms, such as they are, modest ones with ramshackle fences and dilapidated old barns. No animals or people are present in those dozen homesteads, and now a muddy track leads off the road to the north towards the walled village of Hirot. It is defended by a low earthen rampart topped by a fifteen foot high wooden palisade; the pales are sharp at their tops. At the back of the village, visible above that palisade and the fog, a causeway rises to a great hall resting atop a steep ridge. Lights flicker in that hall, but they are partially obscured by the black hearth-fire smoke that hangs forlornly over the place, looking like even it is frightened to venture beyond the town walls.
Moving closer, the travelers sees that the village's stout wooden gates, eight feet tall, are sealed. Braziers burn above them, up on a defensive platform that connects to the elevated catwalk that presumably runs along the inside of the wall for its entire length. Two solitary figures can be seen on that catwalk, and one raises a cry as the other blows a horn, and as Anora and her protectors approach.
"Who goes there!? The gates of Hirot stand closed, strangers! Return at dawn!" comes a man's gruff voice.
It is hard to tell with the dour weather, the fog and the constant drizzle, but the sun is near setting when the three men and the Evoker arrive at the gates of Hirot. Nearly four full days of travel it has taken them, but finally their destination is in sight. In the few hundred pace distance between where they met the Jarl and his men, and the evidently doomed girl and the villagers, the wooded moors have given way to dark, wet, mist-filled fields. Those fields are spotted with farms, such as they are, modest ones with ramshackle fences and dilapidated old barns. No animals or people are present in those dozen homesteads, and now a muddy track leads off the road to the north towards the walled village of Hirot. It is defended by a low earthen rampart topped by a fifteen foot high wooden palisade; the pales are sharp at their tops. At the back of the village, visible above that palisade and the fog, a causeway rises to a great hall resting atop a steep ridge. Lights flicker in that hall, but they are partially obscured by the black hearth-fire smoke that hangs forlornly over the place, looking like even it is frightened to venture beyond the town walls.
Moving closer, the travelers sees that the village's stout wooden gates, eight feet tall, are sealed. Braziers burn above them, up on a defensive platform that connects to the elevated catwalk that presumably runs along the inside of the wall for its entire length. Two solitary figures can be seen on that catwalk, and one raises a cry as the other blows a horn, and as Anora and her protectors approach.
"Who goes there!? The gates of Hirot stand closed, strangers! Return at dawn!" comes a man's gruff voice.
OOC:
Hirot!Apr 14, 2024 9:38 pm
Aldric slams the button of his oar into the ground three times. He speaks with the utmost authority he can muster.
"We are here on urgent business from Garion's Folly as representatives of Relfarious the Shrewd of the Muckmire Mercantile Guild. We have been on the road for four days and eager for refreshment."
"We are here on urgent business from Garion's Folly as representatives of Relfarious the Shrewd of the Muckmire Mercantile Guild. We have been on the road for four days and eager for refreshment."
Apr 15, 2024 2:12 am
"Your man, Orioc, has arranged to meet with us tonight." Anora calls up, annoyed at more unpleasantness from these villagers.
"Would you have us tell him you barred our way, or would you do that yourselves? He’s sure to be irritable upon his return, given the business of the day." she wagers, knowing little of the man’s mind; save that he had the kindness to stop and trade words with them for a moment.
"Would you have us tell him you barred our way, or would you do that yourselves? He’s sure to be irritable upon his return, given the business of the day." she wagers, knowing little of the man’s mind; save that he had the kindness to stop and trade words with them for a moment.
Apr 15, 2024 5:38 am
"Hirot's gates close at dusk, on account of the Hound!" the watchmen shouts down at Aldric when the reluctant priest makes his plea.
But then Anora steps forward, and she names someone that perhaps the two guards know. Garion's Folly is four or five days hence, through a dark wood and across water -- it might as well be across the continent. But...
"Orioc?" the second man, who hasn't spoken yet, says. Right away, he seems to be the more level-headed of the two. "These lands are doomed, travelers! Why has your Guild sent you? Only our Jarl commands the opening of these gates now, once the sun is down. Orioc is one of his trusted Thegns, but... did you see them? At the standing stones?"
But then Anora steps forward, and she names someone that perhaps the two guards know. Garion's Folly is four or five days hence, through a dark wood and across water -- it might as well be across the continent. But...
"Orioc?" the second man, who hasn't spoken yet, says. Right away, he seems to be the more level-headed of the two. "These lands are doomed, travelers! Why has your Guild sent you? Only our Jarl commands the opening of these gates now, once the sun is down. Orioc is one of his trusted Thegns, but... did you see them? At the standing stones?"
Apr 15, 2024 7:21 am
"We met them on the road, with Morgan bound and driven before them." Anora goes on, with a displeased look on her face.
"Does Dolsten yet live?" she calls up then, thinking that they could simply turn on their heel there and then if the answer was no. Whatever got them away from these dour folk in this dour place.
"Does Dolsten yet live?" she calls up then, thinking that they could simply turn on their heel there and then if the answer was no. Whatever got them away from these dour folk in this dour place.
Apr 15, 2024 1:56 pm
Anora and Aldric seem to have their parley with the rustic gate wardens well in hand, so Tyravasiel-Llir holds his considerable tongue. He stands aside, bent and hunched and leaning upon his 'cane' in the humble beggar's posture that he's practiced while traveling in human lands. The elf's cropped ears and alien, too-green eyes are covered by his blindfold and broad-brimmed hat.
Last edited April 15, 2024 1:57 pm
Apr 15, 2024 11:07 pm
Dufgal tries to look unimportant while listening to the dialogue and assessing whether they will have a hot meal and a warm bed or not.
Apr 16, 2024 5:27 am
Both spearmen atop the wall react when Anora mentions Morgan. The loud one, the first to issue his challenge, gathers something from a cord around his neck and presses it to his lips. "Have mercy on her, Justicia!" he's barely heard to say.
"Morgan, aye," the other man says. "The girl is a joy, but her luck's run out. It was her lot drawn. Her father's in pieces."
Then, when the richly garbed practitioner of magic asks about Dolsten, the men look like they are about to respond when another voice sounds on the other side of the gate, from within the village. A muffled conversation is had, with the two soldiers looking down and behind them for a moment before they both disappear. Soon the sound of a bar being removed and heavy latches being opened reaches the ears of the wayward and weary travelers, and the heavy gates are swung open.
The two guards man those big, wooden, iron-reinforced doors, holding them open, but between them a third figure stands and gestures a crooked wo-fingered greeting. He is old, and wears musty robes that look like they once were covered in arcane and occult symbols. His voice creaks when he speaks.
"I am Sylle Ru, seer and advisor to the Jarl. Who are you, that has traveled all the way from Garion's Folly through the dark of the night, 'neath the demon-dog's muzzle?"
It is clear that Ru expects you each to answer his question and provide your name.
"Morgan, aye," the other man says. "The girl is a joy, but her luck's run out. It was her lot drawn. Her father's in pieces."
Then, when the richly garbed practitioner of magic asks about Dolsten, the men look like they are about to respond when another voice sounds on the other side of the gate, from within the village. A muffled conversation is had, with the two soldiers looking down and behind them for a moment before they both disappear. Soon the sound of a bar being removed and heavy latches being opened reaches the ears of the wayward and weary travelers, and the heavy gates are swung open.
Sylle Ru
"I am Sylle Ru, seer and advisor to the Jarl. Who are you, that has traveled all the way from Garion's Folly through the dark of the night, 'neath the demon-dog's muzzle?"
OOC:
Justicia is a well-known and popular goddess, one revered by some for her justice and mercy.It is clear that Ru expects you each to answer his question and provide your name.
Apr 16, 2024 11:24 pm
Aldric consents to the questions of this holy man pledged to a lesser God, if only to expeditite their entry.
"I am Aldric, Witness to Pelagia. I appreciate your poetry old man, but we travelled only with the sun, and saw no muzzles, demon or otherwise."
"I am Aldric, Witness to Pelagia. I appreciate your poetry old man, but we travelled only with the sun, and saw no muzzles, demon or otherwise."
Last edited April 17, 2024 5:28 am
Apr 17, 2024 1:49 am
Tyravasiel-Llir makes such low obeisance to the Jarl's man that the brim of his hat scrapes the dirt.
"I am Ty, master. A mere beggar, to whom blessed Pelagia has demonstrated such wisdom and such kindness through her cleric that I am turned acolyte, if she will have me."
The elf studies Sylle Ru from the shadows of hat and blindfold. He has little regard for human conjurors, but it seems prudent at this juncture to make nice with the shabby fellow.
"Pray master, in your role of advisor, did you advise the Jarl to sacrifice that fulsome maiden to this demon dog?" Ty asks out of mere curiosity; there's no hint of disapproval in his voice.
"I am Ty, master. A mere beggar, to whom blessed Pelagia has demonstrated such wisdom and such kindness through her cleric that I am turned acolyte, if she will have me."
The elf studies Sylle Ru from the shadows of hat and blindfold. He has little regard for human conjurors, but it seems prudent at this juncture to make nice with the shabby fellow.
"Pray master, in your role of advisor, did you advise the Jarl to sacrifice that fulsome maiden to this demon dog?" Ty asks out of mere curiosity; there's no hint of disapproval in his voice.
Apr 17, 2024 3:29 am
Anora does her best not wrinkle her nose at the old practitioner. She takes him in, and silently measures herself against him. It was him that had the idea to satiate the creature with human sacrifice, she supposed. A crude weaver of the arcane, in that case.
She holds her tongue to see how the man responds to the accusation, though the elf didn’t deliver it as such. She suspected that the man would be taking her measure at this moment too, and so she thought it better to leave some things unknown, so as to keep him on the back foot.
She holds her tongue to see how the man responds to the accusation, though the elf didn’t deliver it as such. She suspected that the man would be taking her measure at this moment too, and so she thought it better to leave some things unknown, so as to keep him on the back foot.
Last edited April 17, 2024 3:29 am
Sylle Ru
Apr 17, 2024 5:36 am
Sylle Ru
When Ty asks about the girl, Ru holds the elf's gaze for a moment, through his blindfold and the brim of his hat. "Why... the Fates chose the girl, not me," he says finally, and Tyravasiel-Llir cannot help but wonder about both the inflection of the man's words, and the fact that he specifically called out the Fates...
Then the man is looking at Dufgal, and Anora. His eyebrows climb inquisitively as he awaits their answers.
Apr 17, 2024 6:27 am
Dufgal would never presume an introduction as he had spent his life being a mere background shadow of important people’s lives. But he could tell that he was expected to be accounted for. He looked to Aldric but the cleric had not appointed himself the task, so…
I’se no one important, sire. Merely a gongfarmer from Garion’s Hold.
And he folds himself into a ridiculous attempt at a bow.
I’se no one important, sire. Merely a gongfarmer from Garion’s Hold.
And he folds himself into a ridiculous attempt at a bow.
Apr 17, 2024 4:08 pm
Quote:
"Palagia," Sylle Ru says distastefully.Apr 18, 2024 3:00 am
Anora feels the strain at the edges of her eyes, as talk of Pelagia, the Fates, and Justicia takes hold. She didn’t deny the gods, nor their power. That would be a fools position, but it did weary her when talk became thick.
"Anora the Blue." she says simply. Her moniker would need no explanation to a fellow robe-wearer.
"Our man… Have the Fates decided his already?" she asks, knowing this magician had heard them call out for the man a moment before.
"Anora the Blue." she says simply. Her moniker would need no explanation to a fellow robe-wearer.
"Our man… Have the Fates decided his already?" she asks, knowing this magician had heard them call out for the man a moment before.
Sylle Ru
Apr 18, 2024 6:37 am
Sylle Ru
"I don't know your man," the seer says, but as he does, he backs to one side and gestures to the village beyond the gate.
"Come, Ty and Aldric, Gongfarmer and Anora. The village of Hirot offers the protection of its walls and the warmth of its hearths. Hurry now, we should not have these gates open long. You may find lodging at the Sign of the Wolf-Spear, or the Sign of the Three Rats."
When one of the two guards quietly utters the name Dolsten to Sylle Ru, the robed man does not visibly react, but says, "The tanner? He lost his wife and sons when the demon-wolf broke into his home one night, but he lives. Why do you seek him?"
Apr 18, 2024 6:46 am
"If their gates and hearths were worth a damn, they wouldn’t be marching barmaids out into the woods." Anora mutters quietly to the others.
She winces as the report of the dead sons comes in. That would be reason enough not to make the journey, certainly. She just had to satisfy herself that the man still drew breath. She had explanations enough for her employer already.
"We merely seek proof of life for a concerned friend down the road. Nothing more." she says, with some finality; trusting the man not to pry any further into business not his own.
She winces as the report of the dead sons comes in. That would be reason enough not to make the journey, certainly. She just had to satisfy herself that the man still drew breath. She had explanations enough for her employer already.
"We merely seek proof of life for a concerned friend down the road. Nothing more." she says, with some finality; trusting the man not to pry any further into business not his own.
Last edited April 18, 2024 6:46 am
Apr 18, 2024 2:35 pm
Looking forward to rest and food, Dufgal has no reaction to the subtleties of this encounter and just gathers himself for entry into Hirot. He is currently homeless after all. Any new village holds potential for him.
Apr 18, 2024 5:28 pm
It is fortunate that Ty's blindfold hides the tightening of his eyes at Sylle Ru's mention of the Fates. It was probably nothing, but Tyravasiel's own relationship with the Sisters is a vexed one. Presumably it suits their purpose to thwart the mercurial will of Elfland's King, as it suits Ty's purpose to keep his head attached to his neck. One hand washes the other, and the other, and the third...
If he were inclined to prayer, the elf would offer one up that the Fates should have no business here in Hirot.
If he were inclined to prayer, the elf would offer one up that the Fates should have no business here in Hirot.
Last edited April 18, 2024 5:30 pm
Apr 19, 2024 12:33 am
Aldric wastes no time stepping into the fortified town. They were halfway done their job, and payment wasn't far away. Honestly, they just needed to make sure they didn't fuck things up too much. The town should be the easy part - just follow Anora around and keep her out of trouble while she figures out this Dolsten's situation.
It was weird that the priest said that the demon wolf thing had attacked Dolsten's home.
"Doesn't the tanner live inside these walls?" He asks the guard that brought up "the tanner." "Surely the Beast is unable to break through these fine fortifications?"
It was weird that the priest said that the demon wolf thing had attacked Dolsten's home.
"Doesn't the tanner live inside these walls?" He asks the guard that brought up "the tanner." "Surely the Beast is unable to break through these fine fortifications?"
Apr 19, 2024 5:17 am
Sylle Ru
Despite the gloom, for darkness has now all but fallen, the wizardess and her escort can see that the majority of the buildings in Hirot are timber framed, wattle-and-daub constructions. Many of the smaller homes are mere hovels, where families and livestock share the hard-packed, earthen floors. In contrast, there are homes of those who must be prominent, merchants or tradesmen or the like. Those buildings are two and even sometimes three stories in height, and look to have (now-closed) shopfronts on the ground floor.
Of immediate note is that many buildings seem abandoned -- perhaps as high as a third. Some doors have been broken in, some thatch roofs are collapsed... others have had their heavy shutters torn free from windows that no longer have their yellowed, animal horn panes. Dark stains and gouged wood are visible in places, grim signs of what might have happened.
Ahead lies the center of town -- a market square, a stone church, what looks like a large inn. And looming above that, the great hall at the back of the village that could be seen from outside the walls. A ruckus is audible, one or more people angrily shouting at one another, coming from ahead, perhaps the inn or the church.
"He does," Ru responds simply to Aldric as they walk. A moment later, as a man approaches from the town square, the seer adds, "No earthy fortification or weapons can stop the Hound. The thing moves as mist as it likes, then takes corporeal shape before delighting in its murders."
Nothan the Younger
"And who be this, that you've admitted without the Jarl's say?"
Sylle Ru
Nothan the Younger
"I would."
Sylle Ru
Nothan looks perturbed at this, but says nothing further as the seer turns to walk northward, through the market square and towards the road that leads to the Jarl's impressive great hall.
OOC:
Check the Judge Handout for a new map of Hirot!Apr 19, 2024 10:37 am
Anora thinks the town would be better off barring their gates to strangers, so that they might sate the creature, rather than Hirot’s own. Given that the fortifications did little against the beast, and much against her and her companions that seems the more sensible solution. She was thankful that the people of Hirot didn’t seem overly concerned with sense, at present.
"So many strong men manning the walls and marching the roads." Anora says to this Nothan. "Does the beast demand a woman’s blood?"
"So many strong men manning the walls and marching the roads." Anora says to this Nothan. "Does the beast demand a woman’s blood?"
Apr 19, 2024 3:36 pm
Hearing the man's excuse for why the walls were of no use, he wondered at the security, but he didn't wonder for long. When this Nothan cunt talks about sating the beast with another's blood, he knew exactly what the walls were for - keeping the people inside them.
Sacrificing someone else to save your own skin didn't trouble Aldric. A practical solution to a mad world, he supposed. But, not a sustainable one. And, given that they were outsiders, he figured it wouldn't take long before the folk of Hirot decided that they were more suitable sacrifices than their own.
Shit.
Perhaps a demonstration of power would prove necessary, to change their minds. He began mulling over Pelagia's daily catch of spells to think on how to impress upon the townsfolk that they were not to be fucked with.
He pulls Dufgal and Ty close as Anora speaks with whoever the fuck she was talking to. "If these pussies would sacrifice their full-breasted barmaids, they'll gladly put some random cunts off the road onto the chopping block. We need to conclude our business here, quickly."
Sacrificing someone else to save your own skin didn't trouble Aldric. A practical solution to a mad world, he supposed. But, not a sustainable one. And, given that they were outsiders, he figured it wouldn't take long before the folk of Hirot decided that they were more suitable sacrifices than their own.
Shit.
Perhaps a demonstration of power would prove necessary, to change their minds. He began mulling over Pelagia's daily catch of spells to think on how to impress upon the townsfolk that they were not to be fucked with.
He pulls Dufgal and Ty close as Anora speaks with whoever the fuck she was talking to. "If these pussies would sacrifice their full-breasted barmaids, they'll gladly put some random cunts off the road onto the chopping block. We need to conclude our business here, quickly."
Apr 20, 2024 2:47 am
Dufgal, already having seen enough to be uninvested in Hirot after all, nods to Aldric’s suggestion. I’se thinkin’ our business here is all but done already with them sons being killt and the father bein’ in grief. No more missin’ men mystery as I sees it.
Then he pauses for a moment
Tho I’se hopin’ to eat well and rest well while we can.
Then he pauses for a moment
Tho I’se hopin’ to eat well and rest well while we can.
Nothan the Younger
Apr 20, 2024 7:04 am
Nothan the Younger
"Our fighting men dwindle," the head watchman says. "The Jarl and his Thegns are well armed and armored, but my watch is threadbare by now, thanks to the depredations of the Hound."
When Anora asks whether a woman's blood is necessary, Nothan snorts. "No. No need for it to be a woman. There's a lottery. Morgan, that girl -- you saw her? Her name was drawn."
Gesturing to the inn, which everyone now sees is named The Sign of the Wolf-Spear, Nothan adds, "That's her father wailing you hear, in there. These dark times in Hirot."
Apr 20, 2024 9:46 am
A wonder he didn’t put himself in her stead… Anora thinks bitterly for a moment; and then supposed that it must be a very hard thing to do. She hadn’t done so on the road, but then she wasn’t the woman’s blood.
"We’ve heard the beast can’t be killed. Has such a thing been attempted?" she asks simply. She could hear the muttering of Aldric behind her, and thought the man more lucid than he had been on the road. Perhaps that was the most troubling thing of all…
"We’ve heard the beast can’t be killed. Has such a thing been attempted?" she asks simply. She could hear the muttering of Aldric behind her, and thought the man more lucid than he had been on the road. Perhaps that was the most troubling thing of all…
Apr 20, 2024 2:29 pm
Nothan the Younger
In the gloomy distance, Sylle Ru tarries for a moment near the center of the village square before he continues onto the road that climbs up to the Jarl's holdfast. Outside the Sign of the Wolf-Spear, where raised voices are still sounding from inside the building, Nothan adds, "I watched the devil-dog boil away to nothing. And then cleaned up the mess of three more victims the very next night. The thing won't stay dead."
Broegan Haverson
Nothan the Younger
"Why've you come here, you four? Did the Jarl or someone else summon you to help?"
OOC:
To be clear, you cannot see Broegan despite me showing his picture. Just breaking up the post to make it clear who's speaking.Apr 20, 2024 3:12 pm
"Master, do we seem the sort of fellows who could succeed where bandy-thewed thegns and-- what is more to my way of thinking-- clever watchmen have failed?" Ty scoffs from his stoop.
Phantom dogs and rustic sacrifices are very much none of the elf's business. Nonetheless, his curiosity is piqued.
"No. We are here and gone, sir. Here and gone." The beggar seems to pause and muse. "Indeed, it would take quite an incentive to lure traveling strangers of any skill into such a grim matter that is none of their own."
Phantom dogs and rustic sacrifices are very much none of the elf's business. Nonetheless, his curiosity is piqued.
"No. We are here and gone, sir. Here and gone." The beggar seems to pause and muse. "Indeed, it would take quite an incentive to lure traveling strangers of any skill into such a grim matter that is none of their own."
Last edited April 20, 2024 3:12 pm
Apr 20, 2024 4:52 pm
Aldric moves to interject as Ty downplays the strength of the group, but is suddenly gripped in a fit of coughing. In Aldric's mind, this was a time to present themselves as men not to be trifled with, not sad-sack travellers barely able to fend for themselves! Unfortunately, his hacking fit only underscores Ty's point further.
Fuck these water-logged lungs! he thinks to himself as he tries to recover as gracefully as possible.
Fuck these water-logged lungs! he thinks to himself as he tries to recover as gracefully as possible.
Nothan the Younger
Apr 20, 2024 4:58 pm
Nothan the Younger
When the beggar mentions an incentive, Nothan levels his gaze at him, even as the innkeeper shouts and hollers in the background. "We are desperate folk, and hope has fled for most. If it's coin and such you want, name your price. This is the end of Hirot we're facing. As I said. Folk are desperate."
Apr 20, 2024 10:05 pm
He pats Aldric on the back to help him move the phlegm.
At this mention of coin, Dufgal perks up feeling as though his mind was being read. He almost says something, but decides he may be well to wait for the others to negotiate their reward.
At this mention of coin, Dufgal perks up feeling as though his mind was being read. He almost says something, but decides he may be well to wait for the others to negotiate their reward.
Apr 21, 2024 8:01 pm
From the watchman's reaction, Ty infers that extorting distressed humans for money is frowned upon. So he says, "Master, what ice-hearted wretch would plunder the meager stores of poor folk in the midst of their last extremity? Not Father Aldric Waveborn, certainly, and not Anora the Blue." Of Dufgal he says nothing.
The elf twists his lips as if wrestling with the riddle of how to be justly recompensed for any aid.
"Now, your Jarl seems to be a man of means. Might he have, laid up in his hall, some treasures with which to reward those willing to protect his subjects?"
It seems a stretch to Tyravasiel himself. Why would he, after all? But then the flyspeck lordling is likely the only person for miles around this backwater with riches that might be of any interest to Ty's nemesis.
The elf twists his lips as if wrestling with the riddle of how to be justly recompensed for any aid.
"Now, your Jarl seems to be a man of means. Might he have, laid up in his hall, some treasures with which to reward those willing to protect his subjects?"
It seems a stretch to Tyravasiel himself. Why would he, after all? But then the flyspeck lordling is likely the only person for miles around this backwater with riches that might be of any interest to Ty's nemesis.
Apr 21, 2024 9:30 pm
Aldric leans on Dufgal as he expels the troublesome phlegm into the street. He hasn't quite put two and two together about desperate people being an opportunity to exploit, so wrapped up is he in his own self-preservation. But the rusty wheels are starting to turn, with words like treasure and reward flying about.
Apr 22, 2024 1:20 am
Cutting through all the talk of recompense, Anora tries to get a read on what, exactly, this man hopes for them to do.
"If there is some legend or tale or rumor regarding the hound’s end, I’m sure the folk here have already attempted it. What is it you expext for us to do?"
She knew that in places like this, it was always some matter of strange convenience.
A virgin’s blood beneath the tower that only shows itself under the light of the month’s first blue moon, or what have you…
"If there is some legend or tale or rumor regarding the hound’s end, I’m sure the folk here have already attempted it. What is it you expext for us to do?"
She knew that in places like this, it was always some matter of strange convenience.
A virgin’s blood beneath the tower that only shows itself under the light of the month’s first blue moon, or what have you…
Apr 22, 2024 4:10 am
The former nightman, heaver of nightsoil, mulcher of fertilizer, target of social scorn, has been thinking of nothing other than climbing out of his low caste. Dufgal finally feels that his luck has been a-turning. The thrill of the thrice-reward as he sees it; gold of course, but status as well, and opportunity. His only ambitions up until now had been to get to the zero sum; to survive. Could he now thrive? At the mere cost of testing his mettle? He was up for it. That was the easy part. The hard part seemed to be the impossible task at hand. What brought this beast into existence in the first place? Could there be a clue there? It seemed the one to ask has already walked off. This watchman certainly knows little more than we’ve learned already.
So, the thief simply fancies himself with his imagination. How shall he dress? Would he take a wife or a harem? Why not both? Shall he wear lifted boots to give him height? Why wouldn’t he? Perhaps he will. He will do all the things he’d seen other folks do.
So, the thief simply fancies himself with his imagination. How shall he dress? Would he take a wife or a harem? Why not both? Shall he wear lifted boots to give him height? Why wouldn’t he? Perhaps he will. He will do all the things he’d seen other folks do.
Nothan the Younger
Apr 22, 2024 5:02 am
Nothan the Younger
When Anora chimes in, the weary watchman turns to her, ignoring the dreamy look in Dufgal's eyes. "Rumors aplenty, and few folk with guts or wits enough to do anything about them, let alone steel and skills. Lloré the skald seems to have a dozen stories about how the chieftains of old settled these lands and fought things like this demon-wolf, and I'd wager the crone Ymae knows a thing or two."
Shaking his head, clearly irked by the state of things, Nothan quietly adds, "Some of the Thegns want to ride and try to find the thing's lair, but the Jarl won't have it. Says it's the seer's damned magics that will save us."
Apr 23, 2024 6:10 am
"Where will we find the Skald and the Crone?" Anora asks, dryly so as to temper his expectations that they would take up the charge.
"We can promise very little, but I will speak with them and see what they have to say. You understand that this is a little beyond the scope of our employment."
They would stay the night at least, and that was time enough to talk. She doubted the men in her care had steel enough for this work. If nothing else the Crone would give her the female perspective on matters; a perspective she was keen to hear.
"We can promise very little, but I will speak with them and see what they have to say. You understand that this is a little beyond the scope of our employment."
They would stay the night at least, and that was time enough to talk. She doubted the men in her care had steel enough for this work. If nothing else the Crone would give her the female perspective on matters; a perspective she was keen to hear.
Last edited April 23, 2024 6:11 am
Nothan the Younger
Apr 23, 2024 6:40 am
Nothan the Younger
About the skald, he shrugs and says, "Lloré's usually in the Wolf-Spear, here, droolin' after Morgan."
Apr 23, 2024 2:11 pm
Aldric is finally catching on, and in typical Aldric fashion, thinks the plan is entirely his original idea. Desperation was the crowbar with which one could pry a person out of the mortar of their existing life and into the welcoming tentacles of Pelagia. Why else did he embrace the Bitch Queen? Desperation was good for raising funds, too. Desperate men who would part with barmaids would surely part with gold coins in their place.
Aldric had to think about all this, though. The devil dog would surely end him, regardless of what minor spells Pelagia would pour into his mind. Normal men needed a beer and hot meal beside a hearth, and there was still that part of humanity left him, although increasingly he would prefer and bath in saltwater. But, a meal would give him a chance to convey this genius plan to his comrades, and weigh the risks.
"We can promise very little, but I will speak with them and see what they have to say. You understand that this is a little beyond the scope of our employment."Ahh, perhaps Anora the Blue is the wise wizard she appears to be and is formulating a similar plan? But, she has no flair for the dramatic! In case we take this role on, it is of utmost importance begin planting the seeds in men's minds that will bloom into unquestioning faith.
He speaks with gravitas, and loudly so that not just the present company can hear him.
"Nothan, my divine investiture permits me to lend aid where others have failed. Anywhere the rain touches, Pelagia can touch. Let us look for signs of the Bitch Queen's miracles, hmm? Perhaps a devil dog might survive a spear to the eye, but even demons can drown."
Aldric had to think about all this, though. The devil dog would surely end him, regardless of what minor spells Pelagia would pour into his mind. Normal men needed a beer and hot meal beside a hearth, and there was still that part of humanity left him, although increasingly he would prefer and bath in saltwater. But, a meal would give him a chance to convey this genius plan to his comrades, and weigh the risks.
Quote:
"Where will we find the Skald and the Crone?" Anora asks, dryly so as to temper his expectations that they would take up the charge."We can promise very little, but I will speak with them and see what they have to say. You understand that this is a little beyond the scope of our employment."
He speaks with gravitas, and loudly so that not just the present company can hear him.
"Nothan, my divine investiture permits me to lend aid where others have failed. Anywhere the rain touches, Pelagia can touch. Let us look for signs of the Bitch Queen's miracles, hmm? Perhaps a devil dog might survive a spear to the eye, but even demons can drown."
OOC:
To the inn!Last edited April 23, 2024 2:12 pm
Apr 23, 2024 10:21 pm
The Jarl will never agree to that, sir? Tyravasiel-Llir thinks, troubled. Well, sir. Nothing comes from nothing.
If there are no treasures on offer, what then? Glory? Whom among the Fair Folk would ever hear of his exploits upon this far-flung frontier of humanity, or care if they did? Delight, perhaps? The well-endowed barmaid is likely meat by this time, and they presently have no means of aiding her regardless.
The elf studies Anora the Blue, his brow furrowed beneath his blindfold as he tries to puzzle out what would posses the woman to offer even conditional assistance to these unfortunates.
"Before we part ways, master," he says, without looking in Nothan's direction, "Might you tell us also where the tanner Dolsten resides? He is, after all, the man whose fate we have traveled to ascertain."
If there are no treasures on offer, what then? Glory? Whom among the Fair Folk would ever hear of his exploits upon this far-flung frontier of humanity, or care if they did? Delight, perhaps? The well-endowed barmaid is likely meat by this time, and they presently have no means of aiding her regardless.
The elf studies Anora the Blue, his brow furrowed beneath his blindfold as he tries to puzzle out what would posses the woman to offer even conditional assistance to these unfortunates.
"Before we part ways, master," he says, without looking in Nothan's direction, "Might you tell us also where the tanner Dolsten resides? He is, after all, the man whose fate we have traveled to ascertain."
Nothan the Younger
Apr 24, 2024 5:58 am
Nothan the Younger
"There," the guard says, pointing at what looks like a humble and fully abandoned home nearer the gates, to the south. There's an empty animal pen behind it, and the place looks dark and cold. "But after he lost his family, he spends his nights here, at his brother's place. Many do -- the inn is solid an more defensible than most buildings in the village."
They part ways, then, and as he goes, Nothan says, "I need to check the wall and my men. Just announce yourselves and you'll be looked after. And if you can find it in you to help -- many souls will be glad, and surely in your debt."
Apr 24, 2024 10:20 am
This one knows little or none about any charge… Anora felt, as the man seemed dismissive and desperate at once.
She nods, and when the man has safely departed, she begins to rub her temples. She was of no mind to try and contend with the others for now. She was sure they would conclude their business and leave, and she supposed she could be persuaded to that side, if all the locals were as difficult to sympathize with…
She nods, and when the man has safely departed, she begins to rub her temples. She was of no mind to try and contend with the others for now. She was sure they would conclude their business and leave, and she supposed she could be persuaded to that side, if all the locals were as difficult to sympathize with…
Last edited April 24, 2024 10:20 am
Apr 24, 2024 4:59 pm
Dufgal cannot grasp why no one is talking about price for what seems to be a second contract forming. He felt as though he understood how things worked after treating with Relfarious. I guess things are more complicated than I thought. That, or everyone in his crew has riches of their own and their need is not as great as his.
Either way, he dared not say anything at this point. Better to keep acting as dumb and dirty as he always has. His father had insisted on it and always said, you’d come to appreciate it one day.
He does feel a pang of curiosity in exploring the former home of man who lost his boys. He wondered if the others would deem it worthwhile.
Either way, he dared not say anything at this point. Better to keep acting as dumb and dirty as he always has. His father had insisted on it and always said, you’d come to appreciate it one day.
He does feel a pang of curiosity in exploring the former home of man who lost his boys. He wondered if the others would deem it worthwhile.
Last edited April 24, 2024 5:00 pm
Apr 25, 2024 4:58 pm
Once Nothan the Younger takes his leave, Ty turns to face The Sign of the Wolf-Spear.
"Here is food and rest after our travels. Also the man we have come to see, if the watchman speaks true. Lady Blue, if you wish to amuse yourself with the plight of these rustics, perhaps you should begin your entertainment with Llore the Skald, who is rumored to be within doors here at the inn?"
"Here is food and rest after our travels. Also the man we have come to see, if the watchman speaks true. Lady Blue, if you wish to amuse yourself with the plight of these rustics, perhaps you should begin your entertainment with Llore the Skald, who is rumored to be within doors here at the inn?"
Apr 26, 2024 6:02 am
OOC:
Anora, feel free to finish / continue the conversation with Ty before moving into the inn. Starting that scene before I have a moment now...THE SIGN OF THE WOLF-SPEAR
The inn was one of the most prominent buildings in town, and as the group had already noted, one of the stoutest and most defensible. For that reason, the place contains not a few townsfolk, surely villagers too frightened to be in their own dwellings, or to spend the night alone. Entering through the front door and climbing a step or two up onto the creaking floor of the main level, the visitors see that those heavy shutters with the loopholes are even more evident, as there's a heavy iron bar near the door that's obviously used to bar it. Above the hearth hangs a huge spear, the kind evidently used to fight wolves in the old days by the ancestors of these now trembling folk. The place must seat forty, and looks to be at least half full. No food is coming from the kitchen, though, and no ales are being drawn and served. The crowd is frightened.
Morgan would normally be brightening the place with her disposition, but she is absent. And her father, Broegan -- is tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Unhappy but determined men surround him, as he curses at them, red-faced and furious. He's a huge man, and the ropes that bind his hands behind him creak as he struggles to break them. Stairs lead to a second and probably a smaller third floor, but all eyes turn to the newcomers as they enter the inn, and the din dies down.
Broegan Haverson
"Strangers? Gods strike me blind! Strangers! Help me! They've taken my girl, my Morgan! They mean to feed her to that thing!"
Apr 26, 2024 3:18 pm
Dufgal gasps twice. Once at the spear, he had thought that a place named for a spear would have a spear as decor. It was impressive and he wondered if he would ever learned its history. The other gasp was from the realization that the woman they had seen in captivity was this man’s daughter. The tension the thief suddenly felt could only be regret. The second gasp sounded more like air being punched out with a swift jab to the diaphragm. He instinctively grabbed the hilt of his dagger but kept it under his cloak.
This man is grieving. Surely he should not also be held against his will. What is wrong with these people?
This man is grieving. Surely he should not also be held against his will. What is wrong with these people?
Apr 26, 2024 7:59 pm
Aldric moistens his lips. With the man begging for help, the place is saturated in desperation and shame. Truth be told, Aldric felt a pang of sympathy for the man, and if a bastard like Aldric could feel that way, then he knew most of the room was feeling the same or worse. The place was ripe for ... something. He didn't quite have the plan worked out yet. Curse his water-logged brain!
"Good-day. My, what a wretched state this town is in. I am Aldric, Witness of Pelagia, Bitch Queen of the Sea. A humble servant and holy man of a goddess most fucking mighty. These are my associates..."
He waves to his company, offering them a chance to introduce themselves. It didn't seem exactly appropriate to be giving their introductions while this man begged to be freed, and he wouldn't worry at all if they chose to remain silent. But in Aldric's mind, if you live in a mad world, there was no point in bothering with appropriateness.
To the proprietor, he says "Yes, we passed your daughter on the way into town. Our sincere condolences. Given that so many swords escort her, these men who hold you to this chair surely think they are saving your life. Oh, do you mind? We will pay, of course." While talking, Aldric has gone behind the bar and poured four ales for himself and his fellow travellers.
Then he heads for the kitchen to prepare meals. "Just a moment, I'll be back with a bit of supper."
"Good-day. My, what a wretched state this town is in. I am Aldric, Witness of Pelagia, Bitch Queen of the Sea. A humble servant and holy man of a goddess most fucking mighty. These are my associates..."
He waves to his company, offering them a chance to introduce themselves. It didn't seem exactly appropriate to be giving their introductions while this man begged to be freed, and he wouldn't worry at all if they chose to remain silent. But in Aldric's mind, if you live in a mad world, there was no point in bothering with appropriateness.
To the proprietor, he says "Yes, we passed your daughter on the way into town. Our sincere condolences. Given that so many swords escort her, these men who hold you to this chair surely think they are saving your life. Oh, do you mind? We will pay, of course." While talking, Aldric has gone behind the bar and poured four ales for himself and his fellow travellers.
Then he heads for the kitchen to prepare meals. "Just a moment, I'll be back with a bit of supper."
OOC:
Aldric is going to go cook up four "poor meals" in preparation for casting "Food of the Gods."Last edited April 26, 2024 8:02 pm
Apr 27, 2024 12:51 am
"So long as he speaks plain!" Anora remarks, in no mood for riddles after the day’s drudgery!
Anora feels pity for the man, and doesn’t dare introduce herself under such circumstances. She doubted there was a soul there that would catch all four names of the new arrivals.
"I sought to help her myself, in my own way." she admits softly to the man, not caring who hears.
"Several armed men made sure we could do nothing!" she says softly again and when looks disheartened. "Was there no one to take her place?"
Anora feels pity for the man, and doesn’t dare introduce herself under such circumstances. She doubted there was a soul there that would catch all four names of the new arrivals.
"I sought to help her myself, in my own way." she admits softly to the man, not caring who hears.
"Several armed men made sure we could do nothing!" she says softly again and when looks disheartened. "Was there no one to take her place?"
Apr 27, 2024 3:48 am
It's not difficult to read the tension in the room. The clenched fists and jaws, the mutterings of the townsfolk, embarrassed as they are over what's transpiring. Few of them are able to meet the innkeeper's furious, pleading glare, and no one seems willing to try and console or quiet the man.
Long, tired faces are on Aldric when he makes his introduction. These are a plain and simple folk, most of them, unused to talking with strangers, and especially with strangers who emanate the confidence and worldliness that Aldric does. No one dares to challenge the man as he pours beer, and as he departs into the kitchen.
A few puzzled looks are exchanged -- perhaps some villagers might even harbor a flicker of hope that his Pelagia will protect them better than Justicia has -- and then Anora quietly takes center stage.
The doomed girl's father shakes his head vigorously when the woman asks about someone taking her place, then looses a wail of anguish that quiets the inn to a person. "The Jarl and his black-hearted augur won't allow that! The Hound is appeased only by a sacrifice drawn by lot, Sylle Ru says! With no rhyme and no reason!"
Off to one side, a bald, jowly man shakes his head and offers a bit more. "And that thing isn't appeased. Just sated for a few days. We will draw lots again soon enough."
Long, tired faces are on Aldric when he makes his introduction. These are a plain and simple folk, most of them, unused to talking with strangers, and especially with strangers who emanate the confidence and worldliness that Aldric does. No one dares to challenge the man as he pours beer, and as he departs into the kitchen.
A few puzzled looks are exchanged -- perhaps some villagers might even harbor a flicker of hope that his Pelagia will protect them better than Justicia has -- and then Anora quietly takes center stage.
Broegan Haverson
Off to one side, a bald, jowly man shakes his head and offers a bit more. "And that thing isn't appeased. Just sated for a few days. We will draw lots again soon enough."
OOC:
Aldric, please roll beneath your Luck on a d20 to see what you find in the kitchen.Apr 27, 2024 4:41 am
Aldric rummaged around in the kitchen, projecting confidence than he knew what he was doing. Back when he was a humble potato farmer, his wife and oldest daughters did all the -
"Wait."
"Stop."
"That is not a thought we allow ourselves to think."
He had made this choice long ago. The Bitch Queen was ever jealous - she would never share his soul. Better his family thought him dead and they were free of Her. He had gotten very good at stopping these thoughts dead in their tracks, his addled mind ever a merciful ally in this task. Something about the kitchen and the grieving father outside had triggered it.
But then it was gone again, like a fading dream.
"Right, what was I doing?"
"Wait."
"Stop."
"That is not a thought we allow ourselves to think."
He had made this choice long ago. The Bitch Queen was ever jealous - she would never share his soul. Better his family thought him dead and they were free of Her. He had gotten very good at stopping these thoughts dead in their tracks, his addled mind ever a merciful ally in this task. Something about the kitchen and the grieving father outside had triggered it.
But then it was gone again, like a fading dream.
"Right, what was I doing?"
Last edited April 27, 2024 5:06 am
Rolls
Luck!! Under she goes! - (1d20)
(16) = 16
Apr 27, 2024 4:59 am
Aldric's wife -- and aye, his daughters -- would know the kitchen of the Wolf-Spear for what it was. A well-stocked, well-equipped, well-used and well-loved place. They would have known that it was the food that brought the locals to the inn every night, in happier times. Venison and partridge hang in the back, drying, there are racks of spices, bags of grain, blocks of cheese, big loaves of bread, pots and pans, a bushel of fiddleheads and other greens, a full larder and more.
But tonight the fire is cold, the large iron kettles are empty. No stew simmers, no delicious odors waft from roasting meat or baking pies. It holds promise, this place, but clearly no meal has been prepared here for some hours.
But tonight the fire is cold, the large iron kettles are empty. No stew simmers, no delicious odors waft from roasting meat or baking pies. It holds promise, this place, but clearly no meal has been prepared here for some hours.
Apr 27, 2024 3:43 pm
Tapping along with his cane, Ty follows the sound of Aldric's voice to the bar. He makes a show of feeling over the mugs before wrapping his fingers around one and lifting it to his nose for a sniff. It requires an effort of will not to grimace.
The mayflies' piss-water, of course. Always the piss-water. Tyravasiel sets the mug down again and slyly eyes the shelves through his blindfold, looking for a bottle of wine or perhaps harder spirits. He's found that the humans can't foul those drinks up as terribly as they do their 'ale.'
"What would a hound care for the manner of its feeding?" the elf asks innocently. "Phantom or otherwise? When the beast invades your village, do you suppose that it first draws lots back in its lair to decide whom it will seek out and devour?"
The mayflies' piss-water, of course. Always the piss-water. Tyravasiel sets the mug down again and slyly eyes the shelves through his blindfold, looking for a bottle of wine or perhaps harder spirits. He's found that the humans can't foul those drinks up as terribly as they do their 'ale.'
"What would a hound care for the manner of its feeding?" the elf asks innocently. "Phantom or otherwise? When the beast invades your village, do you suppose that it first draws lots back in its lair to decide whom it will seek out and devour?"
Last edited April 27, 2024 3:44 pm
Broegan Haverson
Apr 27, 2024 5:35 pm
Behind the bar, Ty secretly (!?) spies several other bottles on a shelf that look like they will be of more interest than the local brewer's piss-water. As he eyes them -- two wooden-stoppered bottles of wine, a cask of mead, and a small, still wax-sealed ceramic bottle of what must be some kind of spirits -- a woman from the crowd calls out a response to the question of the Hound's feeding.
"Well tha' beast was eatin' two or three of us a night, before now! Breakin' inta homes, killin' people in they's beds!"
The bald man who spoke before breaks in. "But the lottery won't save us! It just draws out our doom!"
"It's giving the seer time to work his magics!" another voice comes.
The room then erupts in a cacophony of voices, pointed fingers, raised tempers, and strongly-held opinions.
"SHUT IT, ALL OF YOU!" the bound innkeeper roars, cowing and silencing the crowd despite his situation. "This feeding the thing our own is evil itself! Let our folk fight or run, free to settle their own fates! First my sister and her boys are taken by that fiend, now my Morgan?! No! I won't have it!"
Struggling mightily, the big man strains and forces a crack from the chair -- he's getting free! But his hope is fleeting, immediately dashed as four pairs of hands grab and hold him. More rope is brought forward, and his bindings are doubled.
"You fucking cunts! Ru is no more a sorcerer than I! His plan is folly! Dolston!" the brawny barman bellows. "Dolston, gather some men! Fight the thing at the stones! You've lost your family, man, save your niece!"
Glances and a few mutterings are exchanged by the crowd, but no one answers. Broegar shouts his brother-in-law's name one more time before he realizes that the man isn't present.
"Well tha' beast was eatin' two or three of us a night, before now! Breakin' inta homes, killin' people in they's beds!"
The bald man who spoke before breaks in. "But the lottery won't save us! It just draws out our doom!"
"It's giving the seer time to work his magics!" another voice comes.
The room then erupts in a cacophony of voices, pointed fingers, raised tempers, and strongly-held opinions.
Broegan Haverson
Struggling mightily, the big man strains and forces a crack from the chair -- he's getting free! But his hope is fleeting, immediately dashed as four pairs of hands grab and hold him. More rope is brought forward, and his bindings are doubled.
"You fucking cunts! Ru is no more a sorcerer than I! His plan is folly! Dolston!" the brawny barman bellows. "Dolston, gather some men! Fight the thing at the stones! You've lost your family, man, save your niece!"
Glances and a few mutterings are exchanged by the crowd, but no one answers. Broegar shouts his brother-in-law's name one more time before he realizes that the man isn't present.
Apr 27, 2024 6:43 pm
Dufgal simply sits and sips. He’s had worse ale. He’s really excited about the prospect of a hot meal. The drama behind him has drifted into a mind bubble the moment he decided that it wasn’t his job to be a hero. We each must wrestle with the arbiters of fate. The fugitive fingersmith had wrestling with his hunger to focus on. He gulps down the dregs of his cup and goes back into the kitchen to offer his help to Aldric. His hands are filthy but it’s his boredom and hunger driving his offer, not his skill or experience.
Apr 28, 2024 8:13 am
"Unbind that man!" Anora barks into the chaos, as the villagers struggle to subdue their man.
"You double your indignity by keeping him against his will. As for this practitioner you have thrown your lot in with…" she says, with a derisive snort. She supposed these folk were comfortable enough with the arcane arts. "Know that I am of the cloth too, and I do not share his mind on the matter! Better to face the thing with arms than wilt away!" she says, and lets her longsword be seen, as she folds back her robes.
A wizard yes, but one that knew the value of a sword…
"You double your indignity by keeping him against his will. As for this practitioner you have thrown your lot in with…" she says, with a derisive snort. She supposed these folk were comfortable enough with the arcane arts. "Know that I am of the cloth too, and I do not share his mind on the matter! Better to face the thing with arms than wilt away!" she says, and lets her longsword be seen, as she folds back her robes.
A wizard yes, but one that knew the value of a sword…
Apr 28, 2024 2:54 pm
Tyravasiel-Llir lofts a little sigh, as if to say, Well, we're in it now.
He turns and manhandles the shelf of spirits behind him until he's felt up a suitable bottle of wine. The elf retrieves his prize-- such as it is-- works loose the cork, and drinks directly from the bottle.
As he does so, Ty listens for anyone in the crowd who might speak to Dolsten's apparent absence. He's the one flyspeck among these flyspecks about whom Relfarious has shown a pecuniary interest.
He turns and manhandles the shelf of spirits behind him until he's felt up a suitable bottle of wine. The elf retrieves his prize-- such as it is-- works loose the cork, and drinks directly from the bottle.
As he does so, Ty listens for anyone in the crowd who might speak to Dolsten's apparent absence. He's the one flyspeck among these flyspecks about whom Relfarious has shown a pecuniary interest.
Apr 29, 2024 3:03 am
Anora's command catches the villagers off-guard, causing several of them to jump. The woman has a voice and when she refutes the seer's claims, and then bares the pommel and hilt of her sword -- the circle widens around her and the bound innkeeper as though she's been discovered to have the plague. And then, suddenly -- chaos ensues. If Ty or anyone else has hope of hearing some specific utterance regarding Dolsten or his absence, it's lost as many voices and opinions crash together.
"She's right! Let the man go!"
"No! Then the hound will come for us instead!"
"The Jarl and the Seer have no idea how to stop the thing! We're just feeding it our own! Weapons are useless against it!"
"They know that! They are working on a plan, and just need time!"
Ty is drinking wine that isn't much better than the village's ale and listening to all this when a voice sounds beside him. A boy's weedy voice, maybe from a child of fourteen. Light-footed, the lad had closed with the elf quietly, expertly, using Dufgal's exit into the kitchen as cover.
"What a cock-up, yeah?" he says. "There's no one here with the balls to go against the Jarl, bunch of frightened twats. Most of them don't even realize what's really goin' on!"
When Ty looks over, the boy is smiling as he adds, "I'm Wee Tocs. Who're you then?"
In the kitchen, Dufgal comes across Aldric preparing a... meal? With two buckets full of a slop that looks -- and smells -- like the leftovers from some earlier and perhaps regurgitated meal at the Wolf-Spear, and the trimmings and leavings of the butchering and cooking process.
"She's right! Let the man go!"
"No! Then the hound will come for us instead!"
"The Jarl and the Seer have no idea how to stop the thing! We're just feeding it our own! Weapons are useless against it!"
"They know that! They are working on a plan, and just need time!"
Ty is drinking wine that isn't much better than the village's ale and listening to all this when a voice sounds beside him. A boy's weedy voice, maybe from a child of fourteen. Light-footed, the lad had closed with the elf quietly, expertly, using Dufgal's exit into the kitchen as cover.
Wee Tocs
When Ty looks over, the boy is smiling as he adds, "I'm Wee Tocs. Who're you then?"
In the kitchen, Dufgal comes across Aldric preparing a... meal? With two buckets full of a slop that looks -- and smells -- like the leftovers from some earlier and perhaps regurgitated meal at the Wolf-Spear, and the trimmings and leavings of the butchering and cooking process.
OOC:
Anora, please make a Personality check. The crowd's fear of the Jarl and his men will shrink your d20 to a d16, but your wizardly proclamation and showing off of your sword bumps you +1d back to a d20. So -- roll 1d20+1. If you hit a DC 15, you'll have convinced enough of the people present that you have the right of it. Hitting DC 10 will mean they don't untie him, but you think they won't stop you or someone else doing it.Apr 29, 2024 3:33 am
"CEASE!" Anora’s voice booms over the din, as the woman summons as much baritone as she can muster for the proclamation.
"The Hound has already taken your minds, by the sounds of it. What harm if it comes to claim the meat!" she chides several of the whining villagers!
"Untie him!" she commands again to those nearest the ropes!
"The Hound has already taken your minds, by the sounds of it. What harm if it comes to claim the meat!" she chides several of the whining villagers!
"Untie him!" she commands again to those nearest the ropes!
OOC:
Oh Neptune…Last edited April 29, 2024 3:37 am
Rolls
Personality - (1d20+1)
(16) + 1 = 17
Apr 29, 2024 5:35 am
"Dufgal! Excellent timing. Help me carry these... ugh! rather heavy buckets of slop!"
And by help, he means for broad Dufgal to do all the carrying, as he makes clear by plunking the buckets at his feet.
"Tonight, the people of Hirot shall witness a miracle! Our tentacles are slowly closing around the Sylle Ru's congregation. With careful application of theatrics, and just the right amount of force..."
"Dufgal, what's all that shouting about out there?"
And by help, he means for broad Dufgal to do all the carrying, as he makes clear by plunking the buckets at his feet.
"Tonight, the people of Hirot shall witness a miracle! Our tentacles are slowly closing around the Sylle Ru's congregation. With careful application of theatrics, and just the right amount of force..."
"Dufgal, what's all that shouting about out there?"
Apr 29, 2024 6:27 am
The burly burglar grabs the buckets and carries them to where Aldric indicates. When the cleric of the Brine Bitch asks about the din in the den, he looks at him and shrugs.
I’se thinking they’se don't know what’s going on either. Moods is high. Mayhaps they’se hungery too.
I’se thinking they’se don't know what’s going on either. Moods is high. Mayhaps they’se hungery too.
Apr 29, 2024 1:32 pm
Ty does his best to cover his surprise at finding a human child suddenly standing next to him. Despite the tumult in the inn, he retains the presence of mind to cock an ear towards the lad rather than looking directly at him through the blindfold.
"We'd best keep our voices down," the elf confides. "Lady Blue is in high dudgeon!"
Ty takes another swig of the really very poor wine, makes a face, then murmurs, "My name is Ty, young Master Tocs. A humble beggar, far out of his element. And how, pray, do you know what is really going on? Might it have something to do with your considerable lightness of step?"
"We'd best keep our voices down," the elf confides. "Lady Blue is in high dudgeon!"
Ty takes another swig of the really very poor wine, makes a face, then murmurs, "My name is Ty, young Master Tocs. A humble beggar, far out of his element. And how, pray, do you know what is really going on? Might it have something to do with your considerable lightness of step?"
Apr 30, 2024 4:04 am
Wee Tocs
The boy’s voice lowers to a whisper, even as Anora bellows and two villagers reluctantly move forward and begin to untie the man many of the townsfolk call ‘Bull.’
"It’s Sylle Ru! He’s controlling the thing somehow!"
Broegan Haverson
"Cunts!" the man swears at his neighbors and once-friends, raising a fist as if he intends to strike them. "Gods-damned cunts!"
Turning to the wizardess, the red-faced, burly man shakes his head. "Sorry for the language… m’lady. And thank you for your kindness. The kindness of a Gods-damned stranger, you fuckin’ cunts!" he swears further at the ashamed faces.
Four strides takes the man to the wall where firewood is stacked, and there he finds his broad axe. The wrought iron head is pitted and weathered but sharp; it is an imposing weapon in the big man’s hands.
"Who is with me?!" he shouts to the crowd before heading for the door…
OOC:
All four of you make Luck checks, please. That’s roll at or under your Luck score on a d20. You can either just make the check, or integrate it into your next IC post.Apr 30, 2024 9:59 am
Anora holds up the palm of her hand, as if it were a forcefield that could divert the man’s intent.
"A tense time for us all!" she says, soothing the sore feelings she had surely caused in the room. "We are creatures of instinct, I’m afraid!" she says, with a sorry sigh.
"For whom is the axe intended?" Anora asks; the whom a sly indication that maybe the beast was a poor first target.
"A tense time for us all!" she says, soothing the sore feelings she had surely caused in the room. "We are creatures of instinct, I’m afraid!" she says, with a sorry sigh.
"For whom is the axe intended?" Anora asks; the whom a sly indication that maybe the beast was a poor first target.
Rolls
Luck - (1d20)
(14) = 14
Apr 30, 2024 2:31 pm
Dufgal hears the ruckus from the crowd and Anora’s voice ringing clear. He pauses to listen for sounds of trouble. He is bonded to Aldric but feels a fierce protectiveness for the mysterious and regal lady of blue.
Rolls
Roll against 10 Luck - (1d20)
(13) = 13
Apr 30, 2024 11:32 pm
Aldric, too, hears Anora's voice as he nears the door. "Everyone must be getting hungry!" he blathers, and pushes through the door, ready to announce, with appropriate dramatic flair, that the ritual for creating supper is about to commence. But, as he enters, the words catch in his throat as he surveys the chaos in the room.
Oh, bloody hell!
As the formerly-restrained Haverson reaches for an axe, he wonders if his moment is lost. His desperation and shame have been set on fire, and now burned with rage, and it was spilling over to others. If only they could have harnessed that! No matter. He calmly locates Ty at the bar, and urges Dufgal to bring the slop buckets forth.
Oh, bloody hell!
As the formerly-restrained Haverson reaches for an axe, he wonders if his moment is lost. His desperation and shame have been set on fire, and now burned with rage, and it was spilling over to others. If only they could have harnessed that! No matter. He calmly locates Ty at the bar, and urges Dufgal to bring the slop buckets forth.
Rolls
luck (7) - (1d20)
(20) = 20
May 1, 2024 1:00 am
As Broegan attempts to assemble a mob, and Anora attempts to redirect it, Tyravasiel contemplates his wine.
"Sylle Ru? The Jarl's Seer?" he drawls. "A bold accusation, Wee Tocs!" Or so the elf imagines. His grasp of the village hierarchy is vague at best.
After a moment, Ty's nose wrinkles under his blindfold and he offers the bottle to the boy beside him.
"What have you seen with your two eyes, and heard with the ears on either side of your head, that would make you think the Wizard Ru is behind this visitation?"
"Sylle Ru? The Jarl's Seer?" he drawls. "A bold accusation, Wee Tocs!" Or so the elf imagines. His grasp of the village hierarchy is vague at best.
After a moment, Ty's nose wrinkles under his blindfold and he offers the bottle to the boy beside him.
"What have you seen with your two eyes, and heard with the ears on either side of your head, that would make you think the Wizard Ru is behind this visitation?"
Rolls
Luck Roll (10) - (1d20)
(7) = 7
May 1, 2024 2:05 am
Dufgal, being well-used to doing as told, trudges the slop buckets from the kitchen out to the main area.
Again he looks up at the spear and wonders if the reason it’s named the "wolf spear" has something to do with this hellhound. Could it possibly have been the same one that was fought off in this village’s history? Should someone be grabbing and using that weapon?
The simpleton has no one to ask the questions that plague him. He stands staring at the lot of folk to see if anyone is noticing him.
Again he looks up at the spear and wonders if the reason it’s named the "wolf spear" has something to do with this hellhound. Could it possibly have been the same one that was fought off in this village’s history? Should someone be grabbing and using that weapon?
The simpleton has no one to ask the questions that plague him. He stands staring at the lot of folk to see if anyone is noticing him.
May 2, 2024 5:15 am
Broegan Haverson
"The wolf!" he says incredulously. "It’s for the Hound, for the beast!" Looking around, he again asks, no demands, "With me! Morgan needs our help!"
Aldric’s hesitation when confronted with this scene does not sit well with Pelagia, with the depth-dwelling, salty bitch-goddess. The man is suddenly filled with the urge to piss, and also the suddenly crystal clear notion that this Hound, this wolf… must be somehow connected to the moon! Shul’s powers are surely at work here!
Dufgal comes behind the man, lugging the two foul-smelling buckets, and nearby Ty’s concealed ears perk and twitch. Hoofbeats, outside. Several horses.
Wee Tocs
OOC:
Aldric, that 20 means +1 Disapproval for you, bringing your Disapproval for the day to 2. That’ll usually reset back to 1 once a day, but you have to decide when — what’s most appropriate for Pelagia. Dawn, Noon, Dusk, or Midnight?May 2, 2024 9:03 am
Anora looks about, having lost track of the men sent to guard her in Hirot. She nods her assent to the inn-owner, and sets herself up to follow him outside.
She doubted the others would follow the mob to the sacrificial stones. She doubted she would venture there herself. But she had done her part for Law by massaging the townsfolk to action. She could content herself with that much at least!
"Lead on!" she says to the innkeeper, stepping out of his way!
She doubted the others would follow the mob to the sacrificial stones. She doubted she would venture there herself. But she had done her part for Law by massaging the townsfolk to action. She could content herself with that much at least!
"Lead on!" she says to the innkeeper, stepping out of his way!
May 3, 2024 3:25 pm
Feeling Pelagia's eye come upon him is the worst feeling. Like a crack of a slaver's whip, it fills his spine with the urge to bow, and his legs buckle, dropping him unceremoniously to the floor, prostrate and kneeling. But as her salty brine of truth fills him, he is left with a burning and bitter anger that eclipses his terror and erases all his schemes. He explodes, red-faced and spitting.
"The moon!" he starts yelling at the top of his lungs as he staggers back to his feet. "The fucking, thrice-damned SHUL, is behind ALL OF THIS. Fucking Wolves, moon-worshipers all of them! I should have known!"
"Pelagia has sent me a vision! Shul, the crater-faced cunt, Pelagia's most treacherous and despised enemy, is behind everything. Pelagia, I beseech you, SHOW US YOUR POWER!"
With that, he ushers to Dufgal to place buckets onto a prominent table, and he begins to pray to Pelagia.
"Bitch-Queen! Hear my prayers! This village is like the putrid slop before you! It's people are like these scraps, being feed to animals! Show them how you would transform them! Purify them! Save them!
He stands upon the table between the two buckets, chanting, calling, writhing!
"The moon!" he starts yelling at the top of his lungs as he staggers back to his feet. "The fucking, thrice-damned SHUL, is behind ALL OF THIS. Fucking Wolves, moon-worshipers all of them! I should have known!"
"Pelagia has sent me a vision! Shul, the crater-faced cunt, Pelagia's most treacherous and despised enemy, is behind everything. Pelagia, I beseech you, SHOW US YOUR POWER!"
With that, he ushers to Dufgal to place buckets onto a prominent table, and he begins to pray to Pelagia.
"Bitch-Queen! Hear my prayers! This village is like the putrid slop before you! It's people are like these scraps, being feed to animals! Show them how you would transform them! Purify them! Save them!
He stands upon the table between the two buckets, chanting, calling, writhing!
[ +- ] food of the gods spell description
OOC:
It'll take a full turn to cast this spell. Including the spell check now, but aware that it could be interrupted. I'll go with Midnight as the time to reset Pelagia's disapproval.Rolls
Spell check +1 (PER) -1 (LUCK) +1 (CL) - (1d20+1)
(6) + 1 = 7
May 4, 2024 12:22 am
Ty cocks his head. It's hard to make out over Broegan's roaring and Aldric's raving, but...
"Excuse me, young Master Tocs," the elf says. "If you would tarry here a moment, I'll be back to discuss this matter further. With a pair of coppers for you to rub together, if you're a lucky lad." He pauses, then adds, "Enjoy the wine." As if such a thing were possible.
With surprising dexterity for a blind man, Tyravasiel-Llir makes his way past the throng to Anora's side. "There are riders outside the door," he murmurs. "You may wish to consider how you will comport yourself when they encounter this mob. And when this mob tells them how it became a mob."
"Excuse me, young Master Tocs," the elf says. "If you would tarry here a moment, I'll be back to discuss this matter further. With a pair of coppers for you to rub together, if you're a lucky lad." He pauses, then adds, "Enjoy the wine." As if such a thing were possible.
With surprising dexterity for a blind man, Tyravasiel-Llir makes his way past the throng to Anora's side. "There are riders outside the door," he murmurs. "You may wish to consider how you will comport yourself when they encounter this mob. And when this mob tells them how it became a mob."
Last edited May 4, 2024 12:23 am
May 4, 2024 5:36 pm
Anora sees it as she steps out of Broegan's way. His white-knuckle grip on his axe, the fury and the determination in his eyes. And none of that in the villagers gathered here inside the inn. She's cowed them into releasing the man, but to accompany him into the dark woods, against the wishes of the Jarl, and into the teeth -- perhaps literally -- of this demon wolf? Not a one looked to want any part of that.
But before the woman -- or the innkeeper, for that matter -- can do more than realize Haverson might be alone in this dangerous endeavor, here comes Aldric, and Dufgal behind him with his reeking buckets of scraps and offal. The haggard priest, who is at turns a man who mumbles only to himself, or someone who shouts and throws his arms wide to command attention, is very much doing the latter now, and all eyes turn to him. He screams about the moon, and about the dark god Shul, naming him -- or her, depending on the capricious whim of that powerful being -- plainly. It's a bold proclamation, though one followed by the man's beseeching of his own goddess.
She does not listen as Aldric chants and shakes, does not answer as he calls for her help.
Wide eyes and confused looks wash over the priest, as Ty slips towards Anora and Haverson curses at the erupting chaos. Turning, the big man heads for the door, having no time for the pathetic carnival that's on display.
Ah, but everyone is afraid of the Jarl (-1d) and the Hound (-1d), meaning the Action Die, the d20, shrinks to become a d14. However, Broegar is big, loud, well-liked, and seen as a leader in the community. So +1d back and he's rolling a d16 for the Morale check.
Edit: Oh dear. Looks like he's on his own.
And let's also turn an eye towards Aldric and his failed spell. First, the failure increases his Disapproval Rating to 3. Second, that'll reset at Midnight, as Len mentioned above or in the Discord (I forget where!). Len, please note the 3 and the reset timing on your sheet. The other thing to look at is the Manifestation of the spell...
You're allowed to choose or roll that... or come up with your own. I know which one I would pick / modifiy. :)
Last note -- you can, of course, keep trying! The spell takes one turn to cast! (This is where things get *quite* different from D&D...)
But before the woman -- or the innkeeper, for that matter -- can do more than realize Haverson might be alone in this dangerous endeavor, here comes Aldric, and Dufgal behind him with his reeking buckets of scraps and offal. The haggard priest, who is at turns a man who mumbles only to himself, or someone who shouts and throws his arms wide to command attention, is very much doing the latter now, and all eyes turn to him. He screams about the moon, and about the dark god Shul, naming him -- or her, depending on the capricious whim of that powerful being -- plainly. It's a bold proclamation, though one followed by the man's beseeching of his own goddess.
She does not listen as Aldric chants and shakes, does not answer as he calls for her help.
Wide eyes and confused looks wash over the priest, as Ty slips towards Anora and Haverson curses at the erupting chaos. Turning, the big man heads for the door, having no time for the pathetic carnival that's on display.
OOC:
Using the Morale rules here to determine how many villagers are willing to sign on to this escapade. Hitting DC5 will be 1d5, DC10 will see 1d5+1d6, and DC15 -- 1d5+1d6+1d7! Ridiculous dice for the win!Ah, but everyone is afraid of the Jarl (-1d) and the Hound (-1d), meaning the Action Die, the d20, shrinks to become a d14. However, Broegar is big, loud, well-liked, and seen as a leader in the community. So +1d back and he's rolling a d16 for the Morale check.
Edit: Oh dear. Looks like he's on his own.
And let's also turn an eye towards Aldric and his failed spell. First, the failure increases his Disapproval Rating to 3. Second, that'll reset at Midnight, as Len mentioned above or in the Discord (I forget where!). Len, please note the 3 and the reset timing on your sheet. The other thing to look at is the Manifestation of the spell...
You're allowed to choose or roll that... or come up with your own. I know which one I would pick / modifiy. :)
Last note -- you can, of course, keep trying! The spell takes one turn to cast! (This is where things get *quite* different from D&D...)
Rolls
Rally / Morale Check! (1d16) - (1d16)
(4) = 4
May 4, 2024 7:12 pm
Aldric continues his chanting from atop the table, although he is keenly aware that the spell should have happened by now. He really amps it up to compensate for his perfmance issues - speaking in tongues, eyes rolling back into his head, and enough curse words to make a sailor blush.
So fixated is he on his task that he is unaware of any other commontion or happenings in his vicinity.
So fixated is he on his task that he is unaware of any other commontion or happenings in his vicinity.
Rolls
Food of the Gods, take 2 - (1d20+1)
(7) + 1 = 8
May 5, 2024 12:09 am
"No doubt this Ru will pour more poison into the Jarl’s ear. Perhaps they’ll be satisfied in the knowledge that this man will buy the village another night." she says with a shrug, as if she could predict the odd thinking of the people here.
She turns then, as Aldric enters the room. Immediately, a robed sleeve is held covering the bottom half of her face. Her eyes go wide with shock, as the man seems to throw off the shackles of sanity for a moment.
"This man you’ve thrown in with is making himself a prime candidate for sacrifice." she mutters to Ty with a raised eyebrow, as Aldric drones on like a mad man.
She turns then, as Aldric enters the room. Immediately, a robed sleeve is held covering the bottom half of her face. Her eyes go wide with shock, as the man seems to throw off the shackles of sanity for a moment.
"This man you’ve thrown in with is making himself a prime candidate for sacrifice." she mutters to Ty with a raised eyebrow, as Aldric drones on like a mad man.
Last edited May 5, 2024 7:20 am
May 5, 2024 12:28 am
Dufgal remembers some very dramatic priests that he had seen over the years that had traveled through his home town, but he had never seen anything like what Aldric was doing. His jaw slacked and his eyes widened watching the cleric of the Water Witch flail and wail to no avail. It was quite the spectacle that Dufgal literally forgot that this was an attempt to make divine contact. It seemed that this performance was the end goal. It was magnificent. He felt the cold fire in his bosom and knew that he was in the presence of power.
May 5, 2024 1:22 am
"Speaking of Sylle Ru," Ty answers Anora. He observes Aldric's histrionics through his blindfold and smiles beatifically. "To deepen your entertainment, I have procured a boy--" the elf gestures at Wee Tocs, who stands behind the bar with his bottle of wine-- "who claims that the Jarl's Seer himself commands the demon hound. I was about to inquire further when you tried to start your riot, and Father Aldric began to do... whatever it is that he is doing."
Last edited May 5, 2024 1:25 am
May 5, 2024 7:21 am
"To what end?" Anora asks, not letting the thought show on her face. Of course she had considered such a thing. And if she hadn’t, she would give them impression that she had…
May 6, 2024 5:47 am
Broegan Haverson
When no one moves to join him, he shakes his axe, then bellows, "Bah!" and is gone -- rushing through the door and out into the night.
"Are you alright?" a man asks Aldric as he starts practically frothing at the mouth, desperate to channel the Sea Queen's power.
"Do he look alright?" says an old woman who is shaking her head at the tremoring priest.
OOC:
Okay, a few things going on here.Aldric, if you're going to keep this up and not get hauled off the table or run out of the inn, make a Personality check. Roll 1d20 + PER, try to hit or beat DC12. No need for that if you give up your show.
Anora, make a Luck check please -- roll -under- your Luck if you can.
Ty, I'd like that same Luck check from you, but also please make an INT check -- DC 10, that's 1d20 + INT.
Dufgal, make an INT check, but your DC is 15.
Rolls
Broegan's Luck - (1d20)
(6) = 6
May 6, 2024 6:01 am
Anora crosses to the door. Her ears are trained on Ty, her eyes on what would develop outside, and her nose on the fresh air; a mercy after witnessing the slop Mad Aldric had presented to the dispirited townspeople.
OOC:
Lucky Number 7!Last edited May 6, 2024 10:22 am
Rolls
Luck - (1d20)
(1) = 1
May 6, 2024 1:21 pm
Ty shrugs. "Why do humans do anything?" he answers Anora. A question for the ages. "Perhaps you could satisfy your curiosity by asking the boy, who..."
But the blue wizardess is already wandering off, to the door out of which Innkeeper Broegan has passed, probably to his gruesome death. The elf watches her for a moment. Given the spectacle that Aldric is making of himself, Ty offers little pretense that he cannot see the woman perfectly well through his blindfold. Then he shrugs again and ambles back to join Wee Tocs behind the bar.
But the blue wizardess is already wandering off, to the door out of which Innkeeper Broegan has passed, probably to his gruesome death. The elf watches her for a moment. Given the spectacle that Aldric is making of himself, Ty offers little pretense that he cannot see the woman perfectly well through his blindfold. Then he shrugs again and ambles back to join Wee Tocs behind the bar.
Last edited May 9, 2024 12:48 am
Rolls
Luck Check - (1d20)
(12) = 12
INT Check - (1d20)
(18) = 18
May 6, 2024 3:02 pm
Dufgal simply pours out the nasty buckets on the tables in front of the frenzied affair. Not sure what is going on nor what is required of him next, he just stands there with empty buckets in hand.
Rolls
INT roll - (1d20)
(18) = 18
May 6, 2024 3:53 pm
Aldric continues his religious ceremony, but suddenly he goes stiff as a plank, and many heartbeats pass until a damp spot forms on the front of his trousers, and a small puddle begins to form at his feet...
Oh fuck...
Oh fuck...
Last edited May 6, 2024 3:54 pm
Rolls
HEAR ME OH MIGHTY BITCH QUEEN PELAGIA!!! - (1d20+1)
(3) + 1 = 4
PER Check (DC 12) - (1d20+1)
(2) + 1 = 3
Disapproval - (4d6)
(2365) = 16
Re-disapproval - (4d4)
(1432) = 10
May 7, 2024 6:20 am
Pandemonium reigns inside the Wolf-Spear, and Dufgal's dumping of rotten food and Aldric's public pissing is the last straw, the final insult that sets the crowd to motion. Shouts of anger and outrage go up as many hands pull the terrified priest down from on high, down to the floor where fists and heels begin to pelt him.
"He prays to false gods!" one man screeches.
Another, red-faced, is right in Aldric's face. "Sinner! Father Beacom is right! The Hound's come to punish us for our vile vices, our wicked and impious ways! This man embodies all that is wrong with Hirot! The Hound will come!"
"HAAAWWWW! He pissed himself!" a child jeers, pointing and nearly collapsing from laughter.
In that noisome confusion, Dufgal and Ty see Wee Tocs take his leave. He slips through an open doorway into a back hall, but not before also taking Ty's wine and nicking some oblivious villager's purse.
Anora, for her part, is too distracted with what's going on outside to be bothered with the fate of the cleric. The heavy door has a sliding panel at eye-level that those inside can use to spy on those out; as she does so, the magician glimpses Broegan darting into an alley moments before a half dozen horses come thundering up the way. Several carry on past the inn, into the town's square, but three peel off and reign their steaming mounts to a stop at the front of the inn. A trio of armed and armored Thegns, Anora knows immediately, and she sees them dismount and make like they are about to enter the building.
Ty, Tocs is gone before you can get back. Looks like he's gone into a hallway that might lead to some storerooms or even first floor private rooms. Dufgal's you're not terribly near where Wee departed, but you are close to the Great Wailing On Aldric.
Anora, nice '1' on the Luck roll. Take +1 Luck, hitting an all-time high of 8! (Notate it as 8/7)
"He prays to false gods!" one man screeches.
Another, red-faced, is right in Aldric's face. "Sinner! Father Beacom is right! The Hound's come to punish us for our vile vices, our wicked and impious ways! This man embodies all that is wrong with Hirot! The Hound will come!"
"HAAAWWWW! He pissed himself!" a child jeers, pointing and nearly collapsing from laughter.
In that noisome confusion, Dufgal and Ty see Wee Tocs take his leave. He slips through an open doorway into a back hall, but not before also taking Ty's wine and nicking some oblivious villager's purse.
Anora, for her part, is too distracted with what's going on outside to be bothered with the fate of the cleric. The heavy door has a sliding panel at eye-level that those inside can use to spy on those out; as she does so, the magician glimpses Broegan darting into an alley moments before a half dozen horses come thundering up the way. Several carry on past the inn, into the town's square, but three peel off and reign their steaming mounts to a stop at the front of the inn. A trio of armed and armored Thegns, Anora knows immediately, and she sees them dismount and make like they are about to enter the building.
OOC:
As seen in the Discord, Aldric, please roll 4d4 for your Disapproval. The crowd is having no more of your nonsense, and it might be worth pointing out that there's no smell of urine in the air, but one of briny salt water. In addition to the forthcoming Disapproval, there's a chance this crowd might actually injure you.Ty, Tocs is gone before you can get back. Looks like he's gone into a hallway that might lead to some storerooms or even first floor private rooms. Dufgal's you're not terribly near where Wee departed, but you are close to the Great Wailing On Aldric.
Anora, nice '1' on the Luck roll. Take +1 Luck, hitting an all-time high of 8! (Notate it as 8/7)
May 7, 2024 2:20 pm
Dufgal moves himself in between Aldric and as many villagers as he can, simply repeating,
"’e’s doin’ ‘is best. ‘e really is"
"’e’s doin’ ‘is best. ‘e really is"
May 8, 2024 2:28 am
OOC:
Pelagia's Disapproval for Aldric:
Would make sense for this to be the food spell, or perhaps randomly determine one from those you have prepared...
May 8, 2024 2:57 am
Feeling like she was skating on thin ice, Anora ponders for a quick moment on whether she should step outside and head off the guard, or not.
These were men without compunction when it came to the roundabout murder of their own, to say nothing of a rival magic user that got on the wrong side of their Sylle Ru.
She folds her robes around her blade, ensuring that the weapon was hidden, and then steps aside, into a space that would be hidden from sight, should the door open.
If nothing else, these men might put an end to the villager’s attack on Mad Aldric.
These were men without compunction when it came to the roundabout murder of their own, to say nothing of a rival magic user that got on the wrong side of their Sylle Ru.
She folds her robes around her blade, ensuring that the weapon was hidden, and then steps aside, into a space that would be hidden from sight, should the door open.
If nothing else, these men might put an end to the villager’s attack on Mad Aldric.
May 8, 2024 8:22 pm
Aldric begins profusely sweating, unstoppably. Except, instead of sweat, it is rainwater coming through his pores and beading on his skin.
"Pelagia has made her displeasure known to all!" Aldric cries out, the water pouring down his skin and soaking through his clothes. "She has denied us the fruits of her watery kingdom because of the town's complicity in feeding the Moon Hound! Her salvation will require greater commitment." He flings his arms wide, dripping all over the inn's floor.
He has no idea why Pelagia has denied his request, honestly, but he figures this statement makes him look less like an idiot. And, the the water pouring out of his pores nicely obscures his recent urine stain. But underneath, he is terrified. I have offended Pelagia! I must put things back right!
"Pelagia has made her displeasure known to all!" Aldric cries out, the water pouring down his skin and soaking through his clothes. "She has denied us the fruits of her watery kingdom because of the town's complicity in feeding the Moon Hound! Her salvation will require greater commitment." He flings his arms wide, dripping all over the inn's floor.
He has no idea why Pelagia has denied his request, honestly, but he figures this statement makes him look less like an idiot. And, the the water pouring out of his pores nicely obscures his recent urine stain. But underneath, he is terrified. I have offended Pelagia! I must put things back right!
OOC:
Sure, I'll lose Food of the Gods.
May 9, 2024 1:00 am
As he approaches the bar, Ty catches sight of Wee Tocs slipping through another doorway into a back hall. The elf makes a face. He figured that a human child would eat his own liver for two coppers, yet here is the lad absconding, and their conversation unfinished. Perhaps Tocs sets a higher price upon his time. Or perhaps...
Tyravasiel glances back toward the main door, where Anora the Blue lurks, and thinks of the riders beyond it. Perhaps Wee Tocs knows of another way outside, and chose to avail himself of it when the tumult grew too great.
Perhaps Wee Tocs has the right idea.
Whistling softly, Ty sidles through the doorway after the human boy.
Tyravasiel glances back toward the main door, where Anora the Blue lurks, and thinks of the riders beyond it. Perhaps Wee Tocs knows of another way outside, and chose to avail himself of it when the tumult grew too great.
Perhaps Wee Tocs has the right idea.
Whistling softly, Ty sidles through the doorway after the human boy.
Last edited May 9, 2024 1:02 am
May 9, 2024 6:41 am
IN THE MAIN ROOM OF THE WOLF-SPEAR (ALDRIC, ANORA, DUFGAL)
When big Dufgal begins interfering, and especially when Pelagia (or perhaps one of her anemone minions, who pays attention to such mortal matters) makes her displeasure so viscerally known, the ruckus immediately ceases. The crowd recoils from the suddenly soaked man as though he was covered in poison spines, tripping and fumbling over themselves, shouting out their fears and ludicrous accusations.
Anora, secreted in the corner, hears the scuff of boots on the doorstep, then that heavy portal shudders and is throw wide open, revealing three of the Jarl's strong men.
"It is done! The girl has--" the first man through the door proclaims, before the rest of his words twist and die in his mouth. Behind him come two others: a bald, heavily tattooed man and a larger, broad-shouldered brute wearing a top knot and wielding a large axe.
"What is this?" one of the men asks, his voice low and almost a hiss as he tries to make sense of seeing a small mob ringing one of the strangers -- who is lank-haired and drenched to the bone, as though he'd been caught in some freak downpour.
Top-knot looks less troubled by the chaos. "The Jarl says everyone is to stay put until we hear the Hound bay, as we do on these nights!"
"Whatever is transpiring here, cease!" the man known to the townsfolk as Thegn Haedrik bellows. "And where is Broegan Haverson? And the other two travelers, the woman and the blind beggar?"
When big Dufgal begins interfering, and especially when Pelagia (or perhaps one of her anemone minions, who pays attention to such mortal matters) makes her displeasure so viscerally known, the ruckus immediately ceases. The crowd recoils from the suddenly soaked man as though he was covered in poison spines, tripping and fumbling over themselves, shouting out their fears and ludicrous accusations.
Anora, secreted in the corner, hears the scuff of boots on the doorstep, then that heavy portal shudders and is throw wide open, revealing three of the Jarl's strong men.
Haedrick
Clohn the Bald
Kreig
Haedrick
May 9, 2024 6:53 am
IN THE BACK OF THE WOLF-SPEAR (TY)
In the hallway just off the common room where tensions are now rising further, Tyravasiel-Llir glimpses what he believes is Wee Tocs' shadow as the boy flits down the corridor and around a corner. There are narrow servant's stairs climbing to an upper floor, -- separate from the broader ones in the common room that patrons use to ascend to their private rooms. There are several open doors, which a few glances reveal to be dormitories, rooms where four or six people could bunk together.
The corridor is dimly-lit as only a pair of oil-burning lamps at its two ends work to hold back the encroaching black of the night. Ty hears two sounds at the same time as he cocks his head... raised voices and less general din from the common room, and the sound of a latch being worked down the hall and around the corner -- where the elf believed he saw Tocs disappear...
In the hallway just off the common room where tensions are now rising further, Tyravasiel-Llir glimpses what he believes is Wee Tocs' shadow as the boy flits down the corridor and around a corner. There are narrow servant's stairs climbing to an upper floor, -- separate from the broader ones in the common room that patrons use to ascend to their private rooms. There are several open doors, which a few glances reveal to be dormitories, rooms where four or six people could bunk together.
The corridor is dimly-lit as only a pair of oil-burning lamps at its two ends work to hold back the encroaching black of the night. Ty hears two sounds at the same time as he cocks his head... raised voices and less general din from the common room, and the sound of a latch being worked down the hall and around the corner -- where the elf believed he saw Tocs disappear...
May 9, 2024 6:59 am
Not one to be seen craven, Anora puts a hand to the back of the door and pushes it closed enough to reveal herself standing there.
"Who is inquiring?" she says, with stiff defiance in her voice, as if some village strongman had right to ask for her whereabouts. She takes in the three men, and squares her gaze at them, not in the least bit worried.
"Who is inquiring?" she says, with stiff defiance in her voice, as if some village strongman had right to ask for her whereabouts. She takes in the three men, and squares her gaze at them, not in the least bit worried.
May 9, 2024 4:14 pm
Seeing the crowd lessen in intensity and back off of Aldric gives Dufgal much ease. Then the vigilance comes right back when the thegns announce their intention on knowing Anora and Ty’s whereabouts. He sees the Blue mage stand up for her dignity and he feels compelled to position himself to do the same. I must defend her dignity, I must.
He leaves Aldric’s side and finds a suitable blindspot to hide in and readies his garotte should things get rough.
He leaves Aldric’s side and finds a suitable blindspot to hide in and readies his garotte should things get rough.
OOC:
Let me know what rolls you’d likeLast edited May 9, 2024 4:15 pm
May 9, 2024 7:43 pm
Aldric climbs down from the table and the growing puddle that is accumulating from the rainwater pouring out of his skin. It's not stopping, and he's growing more and more alarmed about this. Already, his ragged clothes are thoroughly soaked through.
He hasn't the energy to address the men of action that have barged into the tavern. As he's getting his bearings back from the exertion of casting his spell (and failing), he steadies himself against the table and is grateful for Dufgal shielding him and Anora doing the talking.
His mind races with thoughts about how to placate Pelagia's perturbations.
He hasn't the energy to address the men of action that have barged into the tavern. As he's getting his bearings back from the exertion of casting his spell (and failing), he steadies himself against the table and is grateful for Dufgal shielding him and Anora doing the talking.
His mind races with thoughts about how to placate Pelagia's perturbations.
May 10, 2024 12:37 am
Tyravasiel strolls down the back corridor and rounds the corner after Wee Tocs. He isn't trying to catch up with the lad; rather, he wants to confirm that Tocs has in fact led him to a side exit. From the muffled voices behind him, the elf judges that such an exit may soon come in handy.
May 10, 2024 6:51 am
IN THE MAIN ROOM OF THE WOLF-SPEAR (ALDRIC, ANORA, DUFGAL)
The three Thegns turn at the sound of Anora's voice, at the defiance on her face.
"I'm Haedrick, m'lady, and these here are Kreig and Clohn. We're the will of the Jarl -- his eyes and his hands. Now where's the girl's father gotten to?"
The bald one, Clohn -- he measures the robed woman with his eyes. Perhaps more than is comfortable, in ways the sorceress would care to not think about. His taller companion, meanwhile, is now fixed on Aldric and his wetness.
"What is wrong with -- him?!" the bearded man asks, pointing at the flustered cleric with a thick, rough finger that has been places no one likes to think about.
The three Thegns turn at the sound of Anora's voice, at the defiance on her face.
Haedrick
The bald one, Clohn -- he measures the robed woman with his eyes. Perhaps more than is comfortable, in ways the sorceress would care to not think about. His taller companion, meanwhile, is now fixed on Aldric and his wetness.
Kreig
OOC:
Dufgal, it's not quite right but let's have you make a Hide in Shadows roll to see if you can basically blend in with the crowd. DC 10, -1d to your roll as it's well-lit and not *that* crowded. I'd also accept a straight Luck roll.May 10, 2024 7:02 am
IN THE BACK OF THE WOLF-SPEAR (TY)
Sure enough, shortly after the corridor turns, it ends abruptly in a door that leads outside. That door is heavy and stout but currently unbarred. Moving up to it, Ty strongly suspects that Tocs just slipped out this way. A gap in the wood allows him to see that he's viewing an area behind the inn, and there there are several shit-houses, coops and outbuildings that have been built out back. The elf's sensitive nose twitches at the smell.
Sure enough, shortly after the corridor turns, it ends abruptly in a door that leads outside. That door is heavy and stout but currently unbarred. Moving up to it, Ty strongly suspects that Tocs just slipped out this way. A gap in the wood allows him to see that he's viewing an area behind the inn, and there there are several shit-houses, coops and outbuildings that have been built out back. The elf's sensitive nose twitches at the smell.
OOC:
Don't want to presume too much here. The door is unlocked and slip-out-able.May 10, 2024 2:42 pm
Taking advantage of the multiple distractions, the fugitive felon tries to remove himself from direct sight.
OOC:
Sorry. Disregard that d20 roll. I forgot that you said -1 dieLast edited May 10, 2024 2:56 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Hide in shadows (Agil) - (1d20+3)
(13) + 3 = 16
Amended roll - (1d16+3)
(16) + 3 = 19
May 10, 2024 3:07 pm
Aldric tries to wipe away the water from his face, but it is futile. He responds, his voice miserable and angry: "Pelagia sends her disgust of your submission to the Moon Beast through my flesh." The puddle on the floor beneath him grows ever larger.
May 11, 2024 11:28 am
Let the villagers rat out their own. Anora the Blue wouldn’t engage in whatever mad ritual this Ru had dreamed up for these people.
"Forgive me, Haedrick. We’ve only just arrived. Surely you don’t expect me to know your villagers and geography quite so swiftly, do you? I couldn’t tell one man here from the other." she says, as nonchalantly as she can muster.
If the villagers decided to speak up and turn in one of their own, then so be it.
"Forgive me, Haedrick. We’ve only just arrived. Surely you don’t expect me to know your villagers and geography quite so swiftly, do you? I couldn’t tell one man here from the other." she says, as nonchalantly as she can muster.
If the villagers decided to speak up and turn in one of their own, then so be it.
May 11, 2024 4:59 pm
Having made sure of another exit, Ty returns to the main room of the Wolf-Spear. As he goes, he resumes the trappings of his beggar's guise: the bent posture, the shuffling gait, the tap-tapping of his cane. The elf feels his way around the side door frame, then fumbles in space for the surface of the bar.
"Found the shitter!" he declares, to no one in particular. "The lad was good enough to guide me. And not a moment too soon, I may say."
Ty betrays no awareness of the scene before him, or of the fact that some of the Jarl's thegns have arrived.
"Found the shitter!" he declares, to no one in particular. "The lad was good enough to guide me. And not a moment too soon, I may say."
Ty betrays no awareness of the scene before him, or of the fact that some of the Jarl's thegns have arrived.
Last edited May 11, 2024 5:00 pm
May 12, 2024 11:56 pm
IN THE MAIN ROOM OF THE WOLF-SPEAR (ALL)
Dufgal finds his way into the crowd, then to the shadowy edges of the large room as tensions begin amping up again. There is Ty, "finding" his way back to the common area from the back rooms. Here is Anora standing up to some large armed and armored man named Haedrick, and there is Haedrick's even bigger, top-knotted companion, Kreig, pushing people aside so he can come face to face with Aldric.
"What do you know of the moon-beast? What do you know of the hound?!" Kreig shouts at the priest, approaching so he can use his meaty, hairy hands to seize the soaked man by his waterlogged garments.
Clohn is quiet as he takes note of Ty at the door in the rear of the room; he breaks off from the throng to meet the elf as he comes into the room, then passes by the beggar without a word to look for himself into the now empty hall.
"Fair," Haedrick says simply to Anora as he nods his head in a slight bow to her. Then he turns to the assembled crowd, presumably preparing to ask them where Broegan was, but all eyes were turning to Aldric and Kreig.
Dufgal finds his way into the crowd, then to the shadowy edges of the large room as tensions begin amping up again. There is Ty, "finding" his way back to the common area from the back rooms. Here is Anora standing up to some large armed and armored man named Haedrick, and there is Haedrick's even bigger, top-knotted companion, Kreig, pushing people aside so he can come face to face with Aldric.
Kreig
Clohn the Bald
Haedrick
May 13, 2024 3:08 am
Anora nods back, considering the matter done, or at least giving the man that impression. It all depended on the village folk now.
She watched quietly as the men stalk about the room, bullying their way through the common people.
Her mind goes to her magicks, and she runs her spells through her head as she watches the scene unfold.
She watched quietly as the men stalk about the room, bullying their way through the common people.
Her mind goes to her magicks, and she runs her spells through her head as she watches the scene unfold.
May 13, 2024 2:40 pm
Aldric staggers, his feet slipping on the wet floor boards, but the man's ironclad grip on his cloak hold him upright. Normally he'd shy away from a physical altercation, but given the dire situation with Pelagia's disdain, he finds everything else irrelevant. When he meets the man's angry eyes without fear, it comes from a place of hollowness rather than courage.
"Only what my goddess has told me. The moon is her eternal enemy, and so she could have been a powerful ally. But her help is not freely given, on account of your town's willingness to line up for an orderly slaughter."
"Only what my goddess has told me. The moon is her eternal enemy, and so she could have been a powerful ally. But her help is not freely given, on account of your town's willingness to line up for an orderly slaughter."
Kreig
May 13, 2024 9:48 pm
Kreig
"What goddess?" he demands to know, holding the priest by the front of his shirt, shaking the dripping wet man slightly to underscore his question.
OOC:
Aldric, can you please make a Luck check, 1d20 trying to roll beneath your Luck score…And all four of you, let’s do a bit of a group test, see how much this crowd likes you. Everyone make a Personality check — 1d20+PER trying to meet or beat DC 12. If at least two of you succeed… we’ll your situation will improve.
May 13, 2024 10:40 pm
Assuming that the room may actually feel more fondly of him now that he’s out of sight, Dufgal takes the temperature of the room.
Rolls
Pers - (1d20)
(15) = 15
May 14, 2024 12:10 am
"The fucking Bitch Queen herself! Pelagia" he yells back at the fragrant warrior, matching his intensity. Droplets of water spray into his face as he answers.
Rolls
Luck (7) - (1d20)
(2) = 2
Per (DC 20) - (1d20+1)
(3) + 1 = 4
May 14, 2024 2:06 am
OOC:
"In place of Sylle Ru you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!"Rolls
Personality - (1d24+1)
(7) + 1 = 8
Haedrick
May 14, 2024 5:24 am
"Pelagia!" calls a voice from the gathered throng, reinforcing the waveborn’s fervent claim. Then another, and another. "Pelagia! Mistress of the oceans! Justicia has stayed the Hound naught! Why shouldn’t we pray to this moon-hater!?"
Kreig looks for a moment like he’s at a loss for what to do, like he’s just now realizing how crazy the man he’s seized is… but then he releases him, shoving him away with a half-snarl.
More seasoned and astute by a good measure, Haedrick stamps his heavy boot and raises his voice to quell the excitable crowd. "Fools! The gods are deaf. We are alone here, and have only ourselves to thank each night for living or dying!"
A brave soul girds his loins as he replies, "Well, we will all die soon enough if we—"
But the man is cut off by the Thegn’s shout. "QUIET! Tell me now, and tell me true — where is Broegan Haverson?"
Villagers such as these can only hold out for so long when pressed by rough men willing to do whatever was needed to get the answers they wanted. And so an old man comes forward and points, aiming his crooked finger straight at Anora the Blue.
"Was her! She made us do it, made us release the Bull into the night!"
Haedrick turns to the woman with the elaborate hairstyle, and he meets her gaze without blinking. "This is true? You bade them release the man? What, so that he can witness his daughter’s grim death, and then suffer his own?"
Kreig looks for a moment like he’s at a loss for what to do, like he’s just now realizing how crazy the man he’s seized is… but then he releases him, shoving him away with a half-snarl.
Haedrick
A brave soul girds his loins as he replies, "Well, we will all die soon enough if we—"
But the man is cut off by the Thegn’s shout. "QUIET! Tell me now, and tell me true — where is Broegan Haverson?"
Villagers such as these can only hold out for so long when pressed by rough men willing to do whatever was needed to get the answers they wanted. And so an old man comes forward and points, aiming his crooked finger straight at Anora the Blue.
"Was her! She made us do it, made us release the Bull into the night!"
Haedrick turns to the woman with the elaborate hairstyle, and he meets her gaze without blinking. "This is true? You bade them release the man? What, so that he can witness his daughter’s grim death, and then suffer his own?"
OOC:
Luck check: there are a couple of people getting behind Pelagia! PER checks… yeah, this crowd is not ‘with you’ just head.May 14, 2024 5:37 am
Anora’s nose goes to the roof as she is pointed out by the crowd.
"We both sent a Haverson down to the stones tonight. Mine went axe in hand, and willingly. Yours went bound and mewling." she says, as if unbothered.
"The man will feed the beast another night, if he fails in his task. That will save your Jarl inflicting this misery on these people for a time." she shoots back, knowing that it was sure to raise the ire of the strongmen.
She threads the path her hand would have to fly to reach the hilt of her blade; beneath blue robes before the man could cross the space.
"We both sent a Haverson down to the stones tonight. Mine went axe in hand, and willingly. Yours went bound and mewling." she says, as if unbothered.
"The man will feed the beast another night, if he fails in his task. That will save your Jarl inflicting this misery on these people for a time." she shoots back, knowing that it was sure to raise the ire of the strongmen.
She threads the path her hand would have to fly to reach the hilt of her blade; beneath blue robes before the man could cross the space.
May 15, 2024 2:22 am
This is going well!
Tyravasiel wonders if they will still be paid should the thegns of Hirot cut down Anora the Blue. They did get her here. If she'd died on the road, that would be one thing, but...
Best not to chance it.
The Jarl's men seem to be ignoring him as the harmless beggar he pretends to be, so Ty eases back and to the side of the door through which Clohn has passed. Casually, he works back the leather wrapping the tip of his cane-- the cane which is, in fact, a javelin fashioned of mithril. Should the thegn rush back from the side hall at the sound of tumult, he'll get a spear-head in the back for his trouble.
Tyravasiel wonders if they will still be paid should the thegns of Hirot cut down Anora the Blue. They did get her here. If she'd died on the road, that would be one thing, but...
Best not to chance it.
The Jarl's men seem to be ignoring him as the harmless beggar he pretends to be, so Ty eases back and to the side of the door through which Clohn has passed. Casually, he works back the leather wrapping the tip of his cane-- the cane which is, in fact, a javelin fashioned of mithril. Should the thegn rush back from the side hall at the sound of tumult, he'll get a spear-head in the back for his trouble.
Last edited May 16, 2024 12:20 pm
Haedrick
May 15, 2024 9:31 pm
Haedrick
"No one here enjoys this lottery, woman. Do not judge what you don’t understand."
Breaths are held when he says that, but then released seconds later when he wheels on his boot and calls out to the other Thegns. "Kreig! Choln! Come — we need to alert the Jarl!"
Kreig gives Aldric one last shove that nearly knocks the man down as Choln appears in the back doorway. The bald man pays no mind to the blind beggar lurking nearby when he walks back into the common room and rejoins the Jarl’s other men near the front entrance, which Kreig pulls open.
"Don’t leave this place," Haedrick says sharply to Anora before they go. "Until the Jarl sends for you, remain here."
May 16, 2024 2:26 pm
Anora nods, fully intending to ignore the man, should it be her will later on. She steps back to allow the men room to pass, keeping her eyes on the floor all the time.
She looks to the old man, once the room is clear. The temptation to use her spells to tie the man up almost consumes her in that moment.
If he is so eager to have someone bound in ropes… she thinks darkly, before finally throwing the dark temptation off! She came from a place where the lowest man lived a life of more wonder and luxury than this jarl of some piss village. She wouldn’t stoop to their level. Not yet at least.
She crosses to Aldric and puts a hand out to aid the man.
"Try to behave yourself, Aldric, won’t you?"
She looks to the old man, once the room is clear. The temptation to use her spells to tie the man up almost consumes her in that moment.
If he is so eager to have someone bound in ropes… she thinks darkly, before finally throwing the dark temptation off! She came from a place where the lowest man lived a life of more wonder and luxury than this jarl of some piss village. She wouldn’t stoop to their level. Not yet at least.
She crosses to Aldric and puts a hand out to aid the man.
"Try to behave yourself, Aldric, won’t you?"
May 17, 2024 9:59 pm
Aldric is utterly drenched, and looks shaken. He speaks calmly and quietly, which is almost more unsettling.
"Anora, do you have enough information to make a report and fulfill your contract? The reason behind your man's absence is most assuredly this confounded moon beast situation, and despite their urgings to the contrary, it would be best if we leave soon."
"Anora, do you have enough information to make a report and fulfill your contract? The reason behind your man's absence is most assuredly this confounded moon beast situation, and despite their urgings to the contrary, it would be best if we leave soon."
May 18, 2024 6:19 am
As the thegns leave and the energy of the tavern levels down a notch, Dufgal stows his garotte. After all, no one needs to see him holding that at the ready. It’s hard to argue that is a self-defense weapon. He remains out of the spotlight though, waiting for any cue from his traveling companions. His stomach rumbles and he makes a tentative promise to attend to his hunger soon.
May 18, 2024 11:23 am
"Almost, Aldric. Almost, but not yet. I could hardly return to our employer without having laid eyes on the man myself." she sighs a weary sigh, agreeing with the man but needing to see the job out as best she could.
May 18, 2024 2:40 pm
Ty tightens the wraps on his "cane" and totters back to the group. He doesn't make much show of feeling his way.
"To judge from the innkeeper's ravings earlier, none of these worthies--" the term is meaningless, tripping off the elf's glib tongue-- "is the man we seek. As Dolsten is abroad and the house without its master, I suggest we avail ourselves of comfort for the night. It's what Broegan would have wanted, for your service in hastening his much-desired demise."
"To judge from the innkeeper's ravings earlier, none of these worthies--" the term is meaningless, tripping off the elf's glib tongue-- "is the man we seek. As Dolsten is abroad and the house without its master, I suggest we avail ourselves of comfort for the night. It's what Broegan would have wanted, for your service in hastening his much-desired demise."
May 18, 2024 6:00 pm
The mood of the Wolf-Spear is heavy as the townsfolk scatter to their tables, returning to their cups and hushed, concerned conversations. Some of those villagers are ashamed, some are quietly worried about the Haversons, some are on edge about what the Jarl might do. It is a tense place, the common room, but soon enough help-yourself ale is flowing at least…
May 20, 2024 9:49 am
As others take up hushed conversations, Anora grabs Dufgal and takes him to the side for one of their own.
"Ty has the right of it, Dufgal! Our man is not here! The three of us here have made too much of an… impression… to go wandering about the village without getting a spear in our bellies for the trouble.
But you…" she says, raising an eyebrow at the man.
"Ty has the right of it, Dufgal! Our man is not here! The three of us here have made too much of an… impression… to go wandering about the village without getting a spear in our bellies for the trouble.
But you…" she says, raising an eyebrow at the man.
May 21, 2024 3:59 am
If Anora was playing on his sentiments or not, mattered little to him for Dufgal was intoxicated by her presence. She could have told him to volunteer for the lottery or head back to Garion’s Folly and turn himself in. He’d do it. For the fair lady. And, still, she made a great case which would later occur for him as a sign of respect. But for now, he was her thrall.
why yes milady, I ‘member that Nothan fella pointin’ out the abandon’d ‘ouse. ‘E said there’s a animal pen ‘round back of it so I’se could use that to make my way in, see?
And the awkward man leaves quickly and quietly with not much more to say. He has his mission. Investigate the Dolsten place then report back. He resigns himself to eat some jerky since it seems as though a hot meal is not forthcoming.
why yes milady, I ‘member that Nothan fella pointin’ out the abandon’d ‘ouse. ‘E said there’s a animal pen ‘round back of it so I’se could use that to make my way in, see?
And the awkward man leaves quickly and quietly with not much more to say. He has his mission. Investigate the Dolsten place then report back. He resigns himself to eat some jerky since it seems as though a hot meal is not forthcoming.
May 21, 2024 8:10 am
"I leave the specifics to you, Dufgal. Good man!" she says with an assuring nod. "Bring him to us, if you can, so that we might satisfy our contract and be away before too long!"
She lets the man leave, and returns to the others. They made a fine spectacle, the three of them. Still, the more eyes on them, all the better for Dufgal’s quest!
She lets the man leave, and returns to the others. They made a fine spectacle, the three of them. Still, the more eyes on them, all the better for Dufgal’s quest!
May 21, 2024 12:18 pm
OOC:
Alright, Dufgal to slip outside and investigate Dolsten's house, the other three to sup, rest and recuperate in the Wolf-Spear, yes? I'll verify in the Discord.Dufgal, subtract a ration for missing the meal at the inn!
May 22, 2024 9:50 am
"Wring yourself out, man!" Anora says with not insignificant bite. "We need wits about us tonight, not wet rags!" she goes on, not speaking at all literally to the moaning man.
"Ty, perhaps we could avail ourselves of some of this Broegan’s wear? A little big for Aldric here, but it’s likely he won’t miss it." she says, thinking the man wouldn’t last long trying to steal their way back to their employer in wet clothes on a cold night.
"Ty, perhaps we could avail ourselves of some of this Broegan’s wear? A little big for Aldric here, but it’s likely he won’t miss it." she says, thinking the man wouldn’t last long trying to steal their way back to their employer in wet clothes on a cold night.
Last edited May 22, 2024 9:51 am
May 23, 2024 2:40 am
"The water is ever flowing, Anora. New clothes will just soak through. The Bitch Queen is teaching me a lesson. Woe is ever me!"
He raises his hands to his face as if to smother himself, but he stops. As the water continues to flow from his every pore, he notices it is washing away the grime of many days' travel. The sweat, dirt, and other stains all washing away. A realization slowly dawns on his face.
"Pelagia is not punishing me... She is cleansing me! Ridding me of the filth that accompanies the unclean land dwelling..."
"Praise the Bitch Queen! Praise Pelagia!"
He raises his hands to his face as if to smother himself, but he stops. As the water continues to flow from his every pore, he notices it is washing away the grime of many days' travel. The sweat, dirt, and other stains all washing away. A realization slowly dawns on his face.
"Pelagia is not punishing me... She is cleansing me! Ridding me of the filth that accompanies the unclean land dwelling..."
"Praise the Bitch Queen! Praise Pelagia!"
May 23, 2024 3:15 am
Watching the water endlessly drip and trickle off of the priest's body, then puddle on the floor around him, Ty swallows an uncomfortable knot in his throat.
"Praise Pelagia," he croaks, a flaccid echo.
It's disgusting, frankly, and Aldric was no vision of loveliness to begin with. What's the matter with these human deities? Torments, Tyravasiel-Llir can understand; crass torments ought to be beneath a goddess.
"As it happens, I have an idea where the innkeeper's privy chamber might be." The elf crooks a finger, then totters back towards the side hall he explored earlier. "Perhaps we can find some sort of tub where Father Aldric may... ooze in peace."
"Praise Pelagia," he croaks, a flaccid echo.
It's disgusting, frankly, and Aldric was no vision of loveliness to begin with. What's the matter with these human deities? Torments, Tyravasiel-Llir can understand; crass torments ought to be beneath a goddess.
"As it happens, I have an idea where the innkeeper's privy chamber might be." The elf crooks a finger, then totters back towards the side hall he explored earlier. "Perhaps we can find some sort of tub where Father Aldric may... ooze in peace."
May 23, 2024 3:19 am
OUTIDE OF THE WOLF-SPEAR (DUFGAL)
As Ty, Alderic and Anora remain inside the Wolf-Spear, Dufgal slips outdoors to see what else is going on in the village of Hirot. The town is quiet and the night's shadows hide the man's passage as he heads back towards where Nothan the Younger had pointed out the tanner's shop. The full moon leers, and there are the faint sounds of a gathering emanating from the Jarl's hall, up on the hill above the market square. There are fires burning within that building now, and the moonlight glints off the distant spears of two men standing guard by the great hall's main doors.
The tannery, by way of contrast, is in a shambles. The place is dark and silent as a grave; a pair of heavy wooden shutters lie splintered on the ground beneath an open front window. A shadowy pen dominates the back of the property; no animals seem to be rooting around or dozing in that yard. The stout-looking front door is closed and no light or smoke leaks from the cold hearth inside.
As Ty, Alderic and Anora remain inside the Wolf-Spear, Dufgal slips outdoors to see what else is going on in the village of Hirot. The town is quiet and the night's shadows hide the man's passage as he heads back towards where Nothan the Younger had pointed out the tanner's shop. The full moon leers, and there are the faint sounds of a gathering emanating from the Jarl's hall, up on the hill above the market square. There are fires burning within that building now, and the moonlight glints off the distant spears of two men standing guard by the great hall's main doors.
The tannery, by way of contrast, is in a shambles. The place is dark and silent as a grave; a pair of heavy wooden shutters lie splintered on the ground beneath an open front window. A shadowy pen dominates the back of the property; no animals seem to be rooting around or dozing in that yard. The stout-looking front door is closed and no light or smoke leaks from the cold hearth inside.
OOC:
What's you move, D?May 23, 2024 3:41 am
Dufgal assumes that, if any part of this place is visible and under watch, it will be the front door. So, he slips from shadow to shadow until he can assess the ingress around back. He imagines that the tanner must have a way to the pen from the house so he will go in through that out door.
OOC:
Tell me what he sees and I can post again May 23, 2024 12:37 pm
OUTIDE OF THE WOLF-SPEAR (DUFGAL)
Slipping around to the back of the tannery reveals three things to Dufgal. First, the partly covered workshop -- which the thief smells long before he sees it. There are hides piled and tools strewn... but the man's eye is drawn to the grim scene in the pen. Whatever was in there -- maybe some chickens, a pig, perhaps a couple of goats? Their once bloody and now partly rotted remains are strewn about the muck and the shit. It's a grisly scene, with hooves and hairy ears and beaks and patches of fur poking out here and there.
Also, sure enough, there's a back door. It stands open, looking like it's been partly thrown off its hinges -- perhaps from some force coming from inside the house.
Slipping around to the back of the tannery reveals three things to Dufgal. First, the partly covered workshop -- which the thief smells long before he sees it. There are hides piled and tools strewn... but the man's eye is drawn to the grim scene in the pen. Whatever was in there -- maybe some chickens, a pig, perhaps a couple of goats? Their once bloody and now partly rotted remains are strewn about the muck and the shit. It's a grisly scene, with hooves and hairy ears and beaks and patches of fur poking out here and there.
Also, sure enough, there's a back door. It stands open, looking like it's been partly thrown off its hinges -- perhaps from some force coming from inside the house.
OOC:
Give me a DC 10 INT check for an additional detail, D.May 23, 2024 1:15 pm
Stepping lightly through the grisly scene, Dufgal aims for the back door, scanning as he does for any clues of human remains ; living or dead.
Rolls
INT - (1d20)
(20) = 20
May 23, 2024 1:15 pm
Stepping lightly through the grisly scene, Dufgal aims for the back door, scanning as he does for any clues of human remains ; living or dead.
Rolls
INT - (1d20)
(20) = 20
May 24, 2024 3:36 am
"A little peace would be a fine thing."
Anora admits, as her eyes start to sting and pain her from the rough day they had just put down.
She pang of guilt hits her; regret at having sent the man out into the village alone. She wondered how Dufgal was fairing, even as she follows Ty into the side hall, and away from the dreadful villagers.
Anora admits, as her eyes start to sting and pain her from the rough day they had just put down.
She pang of guilt hits her; regret at having sent the man out into the village alone. She wondered how Dufgal was fairing, even as she follows Ty into the side hall, and away from the dreadful villagers.
May 24, 2024 4:28 am
OUT BACK OF THE TANNERY (DUFGAL)
Approaching the ruined back door, Dufgal notes two things about the remains he has to step around and over to reach the rear entrance of the building. First, there are bits of human remains scattered amongst those of the dead and dismembered farm animals. Fingers, an ear, most of a foot still inside a shoe... and second, the slain appear to have been torn apart. Ripped to pieces, clawed and bitten by fearsome talons and fangs... but not eaten. The gruesome remains look to be the result of some wanton evil, not some beast looking to fill its gullet.
The house is quiet and dark as Dufgal peers inside. To see much, the stalker is going to need some light.
Approaching the ruined back door, Dufgal notes two things about the remains he has to step around and over to reach the rear entrance of the building. First, there are bits of human remains scattered amongst those of the dead and dismembered farm animals. Fingers, an ear, most of a foot still inside a shoe... and second, the slain appear to have been torn apart. Ripped to pieces, clawed and bitten by fearsome talons and fangs... but not eaten. The gruesome remains look to be the result of some wanton evil, not some beast looking to fill its gullet.
The house is quiet and dark as Dufgal peers inside. To see much, the stalker is going to need some light.
May 24, 2024 4:38 am
Dufgal, careful to make no noise nor to step in anything bloody, moves to just inside the door. He slowly leans the door back in place and proceeds to modify a torch. He knows he only needs the littlest light, so he hollows out the center of the torch about an inch so the flame is kept small. Then he strikes his flint with the steel rod and sends sparks to do their duty.
Then he begins to look around.
Then he begins to look around.
May 24, 2024 11:24 am
AT THE WOLF-SPEAR (ANORA, ALDRIC, TY)
Ty and Anora (and Aldric if he accompanies) find the back rooms, and the upstairs rooms if they press their search, empty of people but not belongings, which have been placed on beds to claim them. It seems many of the townsfolk overnight here, at least on glum nights when a sacrifice is expected. They do find a washing room near the back door with brushes, a few buckets and rags, and a pair of empty wooden tubs big enough to lie down in.
Ty and Anora (and Aldric if he accompanies) find the back rooms, and the upstairs rooms if they press their search, empty of people but not belongings, which have been placed on beds to claim them. It seems many of the townsfolk overnight here, at least on glum nights when a sacrifice is expected. They do find a washing room near the back door with brushes, a few buckets and rags, and a pair of empty wooden tubs big enough to lie down in.
OOC:
Luck rolls from everyone who needs / wants a bed, please. A single success will mean you find one bed, two or more and you'll find an empty room with four beds. Recall that Luck is a d20 roll trying to hit or roll under your current Luck score.May 24, 2024 11:49 am
OUT BACK OF THE TANNERY (DUFGAL)
With his flickering yellow light casting a pallid glow on his big face, Dufgal searches the building, using that little flame to dispel most of the shadows from the rooms he goes into. Through the workshop and into the back room used to store supplies and tanned hides he goes, then into the kitchen and the front room where business looks to have been done. Finally it's up to the two bedrooms above, using stairs that creak heavily, making the man frown. The upper level is fairly undisturbed, but the lower is a wreck. Blood spatters the walls, small bits of flesh and gristle rot on the floor, furniture is smashed, tables are overturned.
It looks like something came in that front window and a massacre proceeded through the house, out into the yard. Perhaps of interest to Dufgal, he finds a locked wooden strongbox with metal hinges and corners beneath the counter in the front room. It's small enough to tuck under an arm, but as he's considering that a sound reaches the man's ears... a baying. A terrible baying and howling in the distance, east of the village. Perhaps from the stone circle he glimpsed earlier...
With his flickering yellow light casting a pallid glow on his big face, Dufgal searches the building, using that little flame to dispel most of the shadows from the rooms he goes into. Through the workshop and into the back room used to store supplies and tanned hides he goes, then into the kitchen and the front room where business looks to have been done. Finally it's up to the two bedrooms above, using stairs that creak heavily, making the man frown. The upper level is fairly undisturbed, but the lower is a wreck. Blood spatters the walls, small bits of flesh and gristle rot on the floor, furniture is smashed, tables are overturned.
It looks like something came in that front window and a massacre proceeded through the house, out into the yard. Perhaps of interest to Dufgal, he finds a locked wooden strongbox with metal hinges and corners beneath the counter in the front room. It's small enough to tuck under an arm, but as he's considering that a sound reaches the man's ears... a baying. A terrible baying and howling in the distance, east of the village. Perhaps from the stone circle he glimpsed earlier...
OOC:
See the map in the Judge Handouts sheet -- Area B is where the sound might be coming from. Definitely from the east.May 24, 2024 6:35 pm
Grabbing the lockbox and tries to open it with his thieves tools.
OOC:
Depending upon the contents, Dufgal will take and head back to the tavern. Last edited May 24, 2024 6:37 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Pick lock (Agil) - (1d20+3)
(13) + 3 = 16
May 25, 2024 1:07 am
Aldric is content to follow up on Ty's lead for nightly accommodations. He grabs his oar and follows silently, the squeaking if his armor made even more pronounced now that is thoroughly wet. He mutters prayers as he follows, partially to placate Pelagia but also to avoid speaking to anyone after his tabletop debacle.
While others look for a bed, Aldric heads right for the baths.
While others look for a bed, Aldric heads right for the baths.
Last edited May 25, 2024 1:07 am
Rolls
Luck (7) - (1d20)
(15) = 15
May 25, 2024 2:23 am
INSIDE THE TANNERY (DUFGAL)
Feeling the hair on his arms rise with the sound of whatever that just was, Dulgal sets the small strongbox on the counter in the front room and uses his tools and his expertise to quickly pop open the lock. (DC 12, success.)
Inside, the findings are meager. Three silvers and seven copper coins illustrate that most payments in the community are made with favors, livestock, and other goods; the several hand-written scripts describing who owes what to whom punch that notion home.
Also in the box -- a quill and bottle of ink, a piece of hard, dried-up cheese, and three thick glass quarrels -- diamond-shaped piece of glass, rare in a place like Hirot, of the sort that are normally set into a small lattice of some sort. At the bottom is another note in a flowing hand -- if Dufgal can read, he'll see that it's a missive that someone wrote to themselves. Dolsten?
Feeling the hair on his arms rise with the sound of whatever that just was, Dulgal sets the small strongbox on the counter in the front room and uses his tools and his expertise to quickly pop open the lock. (DC 12, success.)
Inside, the findings are meager. Three silvers and seven copper coins illustrate that most payments in the community are made with favors, livestock, and other goods; the several hand-written scripts describing who owes what to whom punch that notion home.
Also in the box -- a quill and bottle of ink, a piece of hard, dried-up cheese, and three thick glass quarrels -- diamond-shaped piece of glass, rare in a place like Hirot, of the sort that are normally set into a small lattice of some sort. At the bottom is another note in a flowing hand -- if Dufgal can read, he'll see that it's a missive that someone wrote to themselves. Dolsten?
OOC:
Can Dufgal read?Rolls
Loot Roll - (1d100)
(37) = 37
May 25, 2024 1:23 pm
Tyravasiel is happy to leave Aldric to his dripping. He retreats from that distasteful scene with a muttered, "Glory to the Sea Bitch." Good enough.
The elf commences his search for an unclaimed bed. Or, failing that, a bed that could become unclaimed due to a plausible accident concerning some local's meager kit.
The elf commences his search for an unclaimed bed. Or, failing that, a bed that could become unclaimed due to a plausible accident concerning some local's meager kit.
Last edited May 25, 2024 1:25 pm
Rolls
Luck Check (10) - (1d20)
(14) = 14
May 25, 2024 7:09 pm
Aldric strips naked and draws up a bath, in that order, eager to get out of that damned squeaking leather. He clamber into the bath and soaks his bony, sickly body in the water, all the dirt and grime oozing off of him. He sits upright, chanting prayers to the Goddess of The Brine until he falls asleep, hoping things will be better in the morning.
May 26, 2024 2:07 am
OOC:
Dufgal definitely does not readHe figures that he has stretched his time away from the others, so he heads back to the Wolf’s Spear.
May 26, 2024 5:15 pm
SOME TIME LATER, AT THE WOLF-SPEAR (ALL)
It is close to midnight by the time Dufgal returns to the Wolf-Spear with his findings, and twice more he's heard the terrible howling. Most recently, just minutes prior, it sounded much closer and was also heard by the crowd inside the inn. They are squabbling over what to do and barricading the back door as Dufgal arrives in the back yard.
"Seek shelter elsewhere, the Hound comes!" a voice growls from an upper window before shutters are pulled tight and bolted from the inside. Anora and Ty, both preparing for bed in one of the back rooms, hear this commotion; Aldric is faintly aware of it, lost in his stupor as he rests in half a tub of cold water that he himself has produced.
A sound from the darkness reaches Dufgal's ears from behind him -- it comes from behind the stables, and sound like the scuff of a boot, or a paw!
It is close to midnight by the time Dufgal returns to the Wolf-Spear with his findings, and twice more he's heard the terrible howling. Most recently, just minutes prior, it sounded much closer and was also heard by the crowd inside the inn. They are squabbling over what to do and barricading the back door as Dufgal arrives in the back yard.
"Seek shelter elsewhere, the Hound comes!" a voice growls from an upper window before shutters are pulled tight and bolted from the inside. Anora and Ty, both preparing for bed in one of the back rooms, hear this commotion; Aldric is faintly aware of it, lost in his stupor as he rests in half a tub of cold water that he himself has produced.
A sound from the darkness reaches Dufgal's ears from behind him -- it comes from behind the stables, and sound like the scuff of a boot, or a paw!
OOC:
So to be clear -- Aldric is in the washing room, alone. Anora and Ty are in the same room in some state of preparing for bed. Dufgal is locked out; he's in the back yard, and there's the sound of someone or something approaching from behind him, back in the shadows behind some of the outbuildings.Rolls
Mystery Luck Check - (1d20)
(15) = 15
May 27, 2024 5:57 am
Having zero interest in being some unscheduled sacrifice, Dufgal goes around to the most easy access to the rooftop and easiest ingress through a second story window might be and does not hesitate to make the climb.
OOC:
This may be his most important roll yet. Last edited May 27, 2024 5:58 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Climb sheer surfaces (Agil) - (1d20+5)
(17) + 5 = 22
May 27, 2024 9:47 am
Anora pulls free the instruments holding her hair aloft, and the thick black mane falls around her shoulders. She still wears the silken wizard’s robes, and will probably do so throughout the night, for fear of having to make a quick escape from the village of Hirot.
She pokes her head out of the door, as she hears frantic whisperings and warnings about the beast. Into the empty space, she calls:
"Surely not! It’s bloodthirst has been slaked by Hirot’s blood already."
It’s a statement and a question in one. The beast should be satisfied for one night. Unless… the innkeeper had been successful in cutting loose his sacrificial daughter.
She pokes her head out of the door, as she hears frantic whisperings and warnings about the beast. Into the empty space, she calls:
"Surely not! It’s bloodthirst has been slaked by Hirot’s blood already."
It’s a statement and a question in one. The beast should be satisfied for one night. Unless… the innkeeper had been successful in cutting loose his sacrificial daughter.
May 27, 2024 12:51 pm
OOC:
Does the room that Anora and Ty are in have a window? If so, which part of the inn does it overlook? It sounds like their room is on the first floor?May 27, 2024 3:00 pm
Outside, Dufgal's strong hands and practiced skills make easy work of climbing up to the second story (DC 12); there are dormers and other low-roof architectural features that make traversing that space simple for the big man, but he finds himself faced with locked, heavy wooden shutters when he approaches the first two windows. He hears then the closing an latching of others -- the whole place is being buttoned up!
OOC:
Roll luck to see if any are still open, Dufgal! If they are, feel free to narrate making your way into a second-story guest. There's also a much smaller third story with two windows with shutters than are not yet drawn. It's a harder climb to get up there -- DC 15.May 27, 2024 3:11 pm
Down on the first floor of the road house, a rushing teen girl stops in the hallway as she's about to usher her young brother upstairs. Meeting Anora's gaze and her question, she shakes her head, clearly frightened. "We ain't heard it howl like that, that close, since it used to come every night!" Turning, the girl and her sibling rush off -- just as another baying sounds from outside. It's close now -- perhaps just outside the walls of the village! The tramping and stamping and shouting inside the Wolf-Spear intensifies!
Back in the room Anora is half-out-of, Ty inspects the heavy window, finding that its shutters are closed and reinforced, locked with two iron bolts and a thick wooden slat. It wouldn't take him long to unlock if he so desired, and as he finishes his inspection new sounds emerge -- voices, pleas from the back as someone calls to be allowed in!
Back in the room Anora is half-out-of, Ty inspects the heavy window, finding that its shutters are closed and reinforced, locked with two iron bolts and a thick wooden slat. It wouldn't take him long to unlock if he so desired, and as he finishes his inspection new sounds emerge -- voices, pleas from the back as someone calls to be allowed in!
OOC:
Determining placement randomly... and it does face the back. These shouts from outside after after Dufgal has ascended and begun looking for a way in. He certainly hears them too.Rolls
Window Location (1-2 Side Yard, 3-5 Back Yard) - (1d5)
(4) = 4
May 27, 2024 3:37 pm
Later, Ty will tell himself that he opened the window for Dufgal. Because Dufgal is a large, violent and useful lunkhead, an asset not to be wasted on something as trivial as barred shutters. Not because there are voices out there pleading for rescue from whatever howls in the wild night beyond. Helpless and desperate voices. Human voices.
Dufgal simply needed a way to get in. It was a practical matter.
"What's that, now?" the elf calls back through heavy wood. "The old ears, now, they aren't what they used to be." Literally true, although not in the way he's implying.
With his perfectly good eyes and his quite dexterous hands, Tyravasiel-Llir throws the bolts on the window, lifts aside the slat and opens the shutters to whoever might be outside.
Dufgal simply needed a way to get in. It was a practical matter.
"What's that, now?" the elf calls back through heavy wood. "The old ears, now, they aren't what they used to be." Literally true, although not in the way he's implying.
With his perfectly good eyes and his quite dexterous hands, Tyravasiel-Llir throws the bolts on the window, lifts aside the slat and opens the shutters to whoever might be outside.
May 27, 2024 5:35 pm
Down the hallway, Anora sees two people refusing whoever is outside entry, calling out that the Hound is too close to risk opening the door as the desperate pleas outside increase in volume. And when Ty throws open his window, he sees a middle-aged man he does not recognize, and a young woman that he does -- the barmaid, from the road, earlier!
The woman's wrists are red and raw from where she'd struggled against her bindings, but she is free now, evidenced as she runs for the window. "Bless you!" she calls out to Ty, "Bless you! The thing is not far behind -- help us in!"
Running over to the window -- which is not overly large, and four or five feet off the ground, the dark-haired man with the rough complexion adds, "Hurry! Morgan first!"
As he clasps his hands to give the girl a boost, a shuddering, snarling growl fills the night air. The Hound is close!
Morgan Haverson
Running over to the window -- which is not overly large, and four or five feet off the ground, the dark-haired man with the rough complexion adds, "Hurry! Morgan first!"
As he clasps his hands to give the girl a boost, a shuddering, snarling growl fills the night air. The Hound is close!
OOC:
If you lend a hand to each of them, Ty, make a STR check. The first one is at +1d because the man is helping boost Morgan up. Roll 1d24. The second is a straight d20 (+STR). Both are DC 10, and if you fail the first, you may try it again.May 27, 2024 6:01 pm
Tyravasiel blinks beneath his blindfold. The well-endowed human girl lives! There's a stroke of luck. And could that stranger behind her be the very Dolsten they've come here to seek? Ty recalls some mention of a familial relation between Broegan, the girl's father, and the elusive tanner. Why, it's almost as if these two have fallen right into their laps--
No. Oh, no.
Under his breath, Ty whispers, "Great Ladies of Law, Three Ladies of the Proper Course, pass by me and turn your heads from me, that I may live my life as I please..."
Even as he mutters his anti-prayer, the elf is reaching down his lean arms to grasp at the maiden's hands and help her up into the window. The blindfold remains but he makes no show of fumbling for her. Time is short.
Then, having done his part to heave the woman through, he stretches out and down for the male stranger below...
No. Oh, no.
Under his breath, Ty whispers, "Great Ladies of Law, Three Ladies of the Proper Course, pass by me and turn your heads from me, that I may live my life as I please..."
Even as he mutters his anti-prayer, the elf is reaching down his lean arms to grasp at the maiden's hands and help her up into the window. The blindfold remains but he makes no show of fumbling for her. Time is short.
Then, having done his part to heave the woman through, he stretches out and down for the male stranger below...
OOC:
Not Ty's strong suit, Strength, but here goes! I figure I'll do the Morgan rolls first, since if he can't get her in, he'll have to enlist help before the other fellow can try. Success on the lady! So I'll add the fellow...Last edited May 27, 2024 6:05 pm
Rolls
Help Morgan Up w/ Strength (-1) - (1d24-1)
(22) - 1 = 21
Help Morgan Up w/ Strength (-1) 2 - (1d24-1)
(22) - 1 = 21
Help Stranger up w/ Strength (-1) - (1d20-1)
(11) - 1 = 10
May 27, 2024 11:07 pm
Balancing stealth with swiftness, Dufgal surveys the second story opportunities. Spotting a window with shutters yet unshut, he makes haste and hoists himself over the sill and into the dark room, hoping it is unoccupied as he hadn’t thought up his explanation for his ingress.
Now huffing his breath a bit, he turns and quietly pulls the shutters closed. He leaves whomever belongs to those voices he hears to their own fate just as he has had to make his own.
Now huffing his breath a bit, he turns and quietly pulls the shutters closed. He leaves whomever belongs to those voices he hears to their own fate just as he has had to make his own.
Last edited May 27, 2024 11:14 pm
Rolls
Luck check (currently 10) - (1d20)
(8) = 8
May 28, 2024 11:50 am
Almost ready to throw herself down the hallway to open the door herself, the woman is held back only by Ty’s fiddling with the window.
She crosses quickly, closing the door behind her. A wizardly sleeve is over the sill, as she peeks out around the elf, at the two below.
She’s about to weave some of her magick, so that they might easily climb a rope to the window, when suddenly the elf is leaning out and rescuing Hirot’s villagers with little trouble to himself.
"Lose one sense and the rest are enhanced, they say." she offers to the beggar-elf with an amused eyebrow.
"Where is your father?" the wizardess asks of the barmaid, once she is safely brought inside.
She crosses quickly, closing the door behind her. A wizardly sleeve is over the sill, as she peeks out around the elf, at the two below.
She’s about to weave some of her magick, so that they might easily climb a rope to the window, when suddenly the elf is leaning out and rescuing Hirot’s villagers with little trouble to himself.
"Lose one sense and the rest are enhanced, they say." she offers to the beggar-elf with an amused eyebrow.
"Where is your father?" the wizardess asks of the barmaid, once she is safely brought inside.
May 29, 2024 5:57 am
On the second floor of the Wolf-Spear, Dufgal gains entry and locks the stout shutters behind him. He can hear voices and footfalls all over the building as townsfolk race to secure the windows. He's in one of the better appointed guest rooms, one with a large bed, a chest of drawers, a trunk, a low-burning oil lamp, a washing basin and other fancy accoutrements. On the bed lie a pair of folded cloaks and a sack that smells of bread, cheese, and salted meat. The door to what he presumes is the hallway leading to the stairs is closed.
Downstairs, Ty helps first the young Haverson into the room through the open window, then the older man as well. Anora is suddenly there too, in her wizardly way, her surprisingly long hair flowing as she asks her question of Morgan.
The girl is breathless, her dress stained and torn from her forced march and then flight through the woods, but she finds her words easily.
"My father? He's not here? What?! My -- my father isn't here!? We haven't see him! Oh no! Where is he?" This last phrase holds a note of panic, and is far from a quiet utterance.
Behind the raven-haired girl, the man closes and bolts the shutters just as another guttural growl sounds from the night -- followed by a terrified scream.
"Quiet, Morgan! The Hound has come to Hirot! Lloré must not have filled the thing's gullet!"
"Then he died for nothing! And now my father too?!"
"Calm yourself, niece, we don't know that yet," the man says with a reassuring hand on her trembling shoulder.
Then, looking at Anora and the blind man, he adds, "I'm Dolsten. Brother to Broegan's wife, Morgan's mother. Last I saw him he was bound to a chair in the common room. That's when Lloré and I decided to slip out and save Morgan."
Downstairs, Ty helps first the young Haverson into the room through the open window, then the older man as well. Anora is suddenly there too, in her wizardly way, her surprisingly long hair flowing as she asks her question of Morgan.
Morgan Haverson
"My father? He's not here? What?! My -- my father isn't here!? We haven't see him! Oh no! Where is he?" This last phrase holds a note of panic, and is far from a quiet utterance.
Dolsten
"Quiet, Morgan! The Hound has come to Hirot! Lloré must not have filled the thing's gullet!"
Morgan Haverson
Dolsten
Then, looking at Anora and the blind man, he adds, "I'm Dolsten. Brother to Broegan's wife, Morgan's mother. Last I saw him he was bound to a chair in the common room. That's when Lloré and I decided to slip out and save Morgan."
May 29, 2024 3:47 pm
Dufgal lays low and listens at the door. He needs to catch his breath.
OOC:
Can he hear what’s happening on the first floor? He’s the only party member on the 2nd floor, right?Last edited May 29, 2024 3:48 pm
May 30, 2024 2:57 am
"You are known to us." Anora says to the man. "We’ve been sent here to lay eyes on you, by one Relfarious."
She tuts and looks out into the night from her place at the window.
"He has been unbound." she says, diplomatic with the truth of who orchestrated his release. "If the hound is here, then he can’t be at the stones, where I am sure your father is at this moment. Once he finds you missing, and the stones lacking fresh blood, he will return."
She tuts and looks out into the night from her place at the window.
"He has been unbound." she says, diplomatic with the truth of who orchestrated his release. "If the hound is here, then he can’t be at the stones, where I am sure your father is at this moment. Once he finds you missing, and the stones lacking fresh blood, he will return."
May 30, 2024 3:46 am
OOC:
Dufgal -- you're indeed the only one on the second floor. Dozing, shivering Aldric is in the washing room on the first floor in a tub, near the room where Anora and Ty were planning to bed down. They are with Dolsten and Morgan, and hearing that conversation is difficult from where you are. Make a Luck check, but roll a d24.May 30, 2024 3:46 am
OOC:
Oh -- and minor point, but Dolsten just closed the shutters. Does Anora want to open them again?May 30, 2024 4:04 am
Mostly to reassure Lady Anora that he has returned safely and successfully, Dufgal tries to locate a recognizable voice from below.Unable to discern a friendly voice, an overwhelming fatigue comes over the thief and he crawls up on the bed, fully clothed, and lets himself drift off.
OOC:
FailureLast edited May 30, 2024 4:06 am
Rolls
Luck check (DC<10) - (1d24)
(22) = 22
May 30, 2024 8:53 am
OOC:
Oops! I see that now! Nah, it was just for wistful effect. She can look to the shuttered window instead! As if I’m going to let you jump the Hound through that window!
May 30, 2024 4:51 pm
"Lloré.." The name sounds familiar. There are so maddeningly many humans in this outer world, and each one insists on having its own name, like an elf. The night watchman said something about him. What was it?
Oh yes.
"That wouldn't be the Skald Lloré, would it?" Ty asks. "He of many stories pertaining to your devil hound?"
Oh yes.
"That wouldn't be the Skald Lloré, would it?" Ty asks. "He of many stories pertaining to your devil hound?"
May 31, 2024 5:44 am
Dolsten
Shaking his head slightly, some hard-to-read expression briefly crosses the man's features. "He... employed you to come here?"
Morgan Haverson
"Yes, he's a poet, and a singer. Do you know him, or of him?"
Another shout comes from outside, followed by another inhuman howl. It's no wolf making that sound -- behind the baying is a trilling, atonal and shrill. It's a sound that sets teeth on edge and hairs rising.
Jun 1, 2024 1:52 am
When the weird baying starts up closer to the inn, Ty feels his way along the window to make sure that the bolts and bar are securely in place.
To the buxom human's question, he answers, "We were told that he might have some knowledge concerning how the beast out there could be banished." The elf pauses, then adds indelicately, "Apparently he did not."
To the buxom human's question, he answers, "We were told that he might have some knowledge concerning how the beast out there could be banished." The elf pauses, then adds indelicately, "Apparently he did not."
Jun 1, 2024 2:24 am
"Indeed, for our sins." the woman says, with a sigh, indicating that the task had been nothing but a headache since the outset.
"We were sent to determine your whereabouts, and to put the man’s mind at ease. We were told you had been expected by him, and hadn’t made the meeting." she goes on, though present circumstances made the whole thing moot, she supposed.
To Tyravasiel-Llir, she adds:
"We might still ask the crone what she knows."
Their leaving this town alive might hinge upon the beast and its own continued survival.
Let’s hope the old woman remained indoors tonight…
"We were sent to determine your whereabouts, and to put the man’s mind at ease. We were told you had been expected by him, and hadn’t made the meeting." she goes on, though present circumstances made the whole thing moot, she supposed.
To Tyravasiel-Llir, she adds:
"We might still ask the crone what she knows."
Their leaving this town alive might hinge upon the beast and its own continued survival.
Let’s hope the old woman remained indoors tonight…
Jun 1, 2024 5:24 am
Morgan Haverson
"I-I saw you and this lady on the road before. Are you... here to help us? Are you monster-hunters? Did this merchant pay you gold and silver to slay the Hound of Hirot?!"
Dolsten
"Lloré knew many verses about the old days, it's true. Tales of the savage kings who tamed this land with sword and spear, slaying black ghouls and demon wolves. He had his favorites -- old King Ulfheonar who confused one of those devil hounds, throwing off its scent with lamb's blood -- piercing the beast through the heart with his silvered spear!"
Morgan Haverson
Rolls
Luck (9) - (1d20)
(15) = 15
Front Door, Back Door, Kitchen Windows, Other Guest Room Windows, Ty's Window - (1d5)
(3) = 3
Jun 1, 2024 5:30 am
The Wolf-Spear shudders when something heavy hits it. The sound comes from the other side of the building, but it's loud enough for Anora, Ty, Dufgal and even Aldric to hear. The impact comes again, and muffled cries go up from the villagers sheltering in the kitchen.
Jun 1, 2024 6:07 am
In a deep dream, a young Dufgal walks the woods with seven sticks in his arms. Each one selected for its unique shape and potential. Sharpened into daggers, fashioned into slingshots, manipulated into deadfall traps, twisted and woven into a crown, and some still would be painted and decorated to be his playmates. They had epic tales of adventure that spanned continents and inspired wonder and awe.
The bunnies would scurry in terror as he stomped through the heather. The birds waited til he passed to return to forage the ground. Only the crows seemed to show no deference as he made his way.
He never felt his aloneness. His imagination was a rich and rewarding friend.
The world was always his oyster on his walks and in his dreams.
And he relished the restful sleep for he was fully free.
As the sound of something crashing into the Wolfspear rattles the walls, the tired thief is startled awake. Was that also in my dream? he thinks, but the sound comes again. Dufgal leaps from the bed and places an ear to the door.
The bunnies would scurry in terror as he stomped through the heather. The birds waited til he passed to return to forage the ground. Only the crows seemed to show no deference as he made his way.
He never felt his aloneness. His imagination was a rich and rewarding friend.
The world was always his oyster on his walks and in his dreams.
And he relished the restful sleep for he was fully free.
As the sound of something crashing into the Wolfspear rattles the walls, the tired thief is startled awake. Was that also in my dream? he thinks, but the sound comes again. Dufgal leaps from the bed and places an ear to the door.
OOC:
If he hears any of his crew, let me know.Last edited June 1, 2024 6:11 am
Jun 1, 2024 5:18 pm
Aldric is adrift in an immense wine-dark sea, floating face up. Ice flows through his veins; he is so cold he can't feel any sensation, so immobilized he can't even shiver, can't even blink. Directly above him, shining its putrid light into his eyes, is the fucking moon, mocking him. Below him, he senses something vast and terrible moving. Something that could easily swallow him whole.
A voice comes to his mind from the void: But, dear Aldric, you have nothing to fear. It is the voice of the woman who he once called his wife. You've been swallowed whole already.
Acceptance of his fate dissolves his fear. There's nothing he can do about that, now. But maybe, with enough time and distance, with enough deeds and sacrifices ...
A loud boom rings out all of a sudden. It sends a violent ripple through the sea, and the rays of moonlight become harsh, painful. Memory of his circumstances in the waking world suddenly flood back into Aldric's mind.
The hound is here ...
He wonders if his time is running out to play the long game with Pelagia. Things might be getting too dangerous to play it safe, and risk might need to be taken in order to have any chance at all.
He wakes up with a start, opening his eyes to realize he's sunk beneath the waterline in the tub. He leaps forth, sending soiled water all over the bathing room's floor and walls. Gasping for air, he climbs out violently, forcing his blue-tinged, cramp-filled muscles to creak back to life. Rather than grabbing for a towel, he grabs for his broken oar, and strides out into the hall in the nude and dripping wet, shrivelled like a sunned prune from soaking in the water for so long.
"THE BITCH OF SHUL IS HERE!" he announces, his voice full of venom and righteous fury.
A voice comes to his mind from the void: But, dear Aldric, you have nothing to fear. It is the voice of the woman who he once called his wife. You've been swallowed whole already.
Acceptance of his fate dissolves his fear. There's nothing he can do about that, now. But maybe, with enough time and distance, with enough deeds and sacrifices ...
A loud boom rings out all of a sudden. It sends a violent ripple through the sea, and the rays of moonlight become harsh, painful. Memory of his circumstances in the waking world suddenly flood back into Aldric's mind.
The hound is here ...
He wonders if his time is running out to play the long game with Pelagia. Things might be getting too dangerous to play it safe, and risk might need to be taken in order to have any chance at all.
He wakes up with a start, opening his eyes to realize he's sunk beneath the waterline in the tub. He leaps forth, sending soiled water all over the bathing room's floor and walls. Gasping for air, he climbs out violently, forcing his blue-tinged, cramp-filled muscles to creak back to life. Rather than grabbing for a towel, he grabs for his broken oar, and strides out into the hall in the nude and dripping wet, shrivelled like a sunned prune from soaking in the water for so long.
"THE BITCH OF SHUL IS HERE!" he announces, his voice full of venom and righteous fury.
OOC:
New spells are: Blessing, Darkness, Detect Evil, and Resist Cold or Heat.Last edited June 1, 2024 5:50 pm
Rolls
spells! - (1d11, 1d11, 1d11, 1d11)
1d11 : (3) = 3
1d11 : (2) = 2
1d11 : (3) = 3
1d11 : (1) = 1
reroll duplicate - (1d11)
(9) = 9
Jun 1, 2024 8:35 pm
Up on the second floor, as Dufgal approaches the door there's the sound of running -- and then it opens wide!
"Oh!" says a middle aged woman who has two not quite teen children in tow. "Please let us in sir! The Hound attacks the inn!"
Through the now-open door, the big man hears an unmistakable voice -- Aldric's!
Below, in the hallway outside the bathing room, the bellowing priest stalks towards the common room, and the kitchen. He exudes seawater no longer, but redness marks his wet, naked flesh, his buttocks, back, and shoulders. The lashings of a hundreds jellyfish stingers, the bites of a thousand tiny barnacles, the sucker-tipped coilings of his goddess's long, prehensile tongue... Aldric is a man marked, and he knows that Pelagia wants this wolf confronted, and stopped.
"Oh!" says a middle aged woman who has two not quite teen children in tow. "Please let us in sir! The Hound attacks the inn!"
Through the now-open door, the big man hears an unmistakable voice -- Aldric's!
Below, in the hallway outside the bathing room, the bellowing priest stalks towards the common room, and the kitchen. He exudes seawater no longer, but redness marks his wet, naked flesh, his buttocks, back, and shoulders. The lashings of a hundreds jellyfish stingers, the bites of a thousand tiny barnacles, the sucker-tipped coilings of his goddess's long, prehensile tongue... Aldric is a man marked, and he knows that Pelagia wants this wolf confronted, and stopped.
OOC:
Reduce your Disapproval by one, Aldric. And by one more should you confront the Hound. (Normally it would reset to 1 at midnight, but... your goddess has her eye on all this, it seems.)Jun 1, 2024 9:52 pm
Dufgal, not one for pleasantry nor pageantry, simply brushes past the woman and her ‘tweens. He turns towards the sound of the priest’s voice and eagerly seeks reunion.
With mere minutes following his ranting, once again Dufgal is facing Aldric's manhood unsheathed. Again he thinks, This man is unlike any priest he’s ever seen. And again, the thief finds himself holding his tongue. What really is there to say anyway? The beast is upon us all.
Dufgal looks to the spear on display. If he’s getting into a fight with a hellhound this night, he well may need a weapon with greater reach.
With mere minutes following his ranting, once again Dufgal is facing Aldric's manhood unsheathed. Again he thinks, This man is unlike any priest he’s ever seen. And again, the thief finds himself holding his tongue. What really is there to say anyway? The beast is upon us all.
Dufgal looks to the spear on display. If he’s getting into a fight with a hellhound this night, he well may need a weapon with greater reach.
OOC:
Is it removable? Is it reachable?Jun 2, 2024 12:39 am
OOC:
It's reachable if you climb up the mantle above the hearth or use a chair -- however, I want to let Anora and Ty get a post in, then we will likely move to combat rounds. (So don't post grabbing it just yet.)Jun 2, 2024 5:31 am
"I suspect the words would fall quite freely from her mouth, if she was to be offered to be the beast next."
Then the tavern shudders, and Anora’s heart begins to race. She looks to her elven companion, and wonders if he will join her in her next act.
She throws up her hair hastily, so that it sits messily atop her head, and out of her eyes. She clutches up her sword, and without a word, races out into the hall.
The beast would rue seeking prey within the tavern tonight!
Then the tavern shudders, and Anora’s heart begins to race. She looks to her elven companion, and wonders if he will join her in her next act.
She throws up her hair hastily, so that it sits messily atop her head, and out of her eyes. She clutches up her sword, and without a word, races out into the hall.
The beast would rue seeking prey within the tavern tonight!
Jun 2, 2024 2:03 pm
After Anora throws up her tresses and dashes out, Tyravasiel looks to Morgan and Dolsten, right through the blindfold. If they could see his weird, too-green eyes, and read the expression in them, they would find a look verging on apology.
"This is madness, of course," he tells them. "Good sir, pulchritudinous lady, I advise you to keep your place here and bar the door as best you may. Those of us who haven't been devoured will rejoin you soon."
Ty sketches his beggarly bow, straightens, and faces the door with a sigh. Anora the Blue plays deadly games, it seems; he's not quite sure he wants to play along. But his payment depends upon her safety, so...
Clutching his cane, and tottering not at all, the elf strides out. He doesn't run after Anora, as he wishes to survey the state of any battle before engaging.
"This is madness, of course," he tells them. "Good sir, pulchritudinous lady, I advise you to keep your place here and bar the door as best you may. Those of us who haven't been devoured will rejoin you soon."
Ty sketches his beggarly bow, straightens, and faces the door with a sigh. Anora the Blue plays deadly games, it seems; he's not quite sure he wants to play along. But his payment depends upon her safety, so...
Clutching his cane, and tottering not at all, the elf strides out. He doesn't run after Anora, as he wishes to survey the state of any battle before engaging.
Jun 2, 2024 2:52 pm
As the very bones of the building shudder again, and as a terrible, slavering growl comes from the back yard near the kitchen, Anora, Aldric, Dufgal and Ty come together in the hallway off the common room -- the one the 'blind' elf first investigated. Dufgal comes pumping down the stairs two at a time while Anora leads the charge from the back room where fair Morgan is left puzzled, wondering what pulchritudinous means.
In the hall between them? Naked, raving Aldric, with his oar and little else...
ROUND 1
In the hall between them? Naked, raving Aldric, with his oar and little else...
ROUND 1
OOC:
Everyone roll initiative, please. 1d20 + your Init score. Act in more or less the order you want for now, but this will start to matter if and when things get hairy. Note that this is your one roll for the whole encounter / action scene -- you'll go in this order from here on out.[ +- ] Round 1 Map
Rolls
Secret Roll
Jun 2, 2024 3:01 pm
Laying eyes upon the whole of the crew gives Dufgal much encouragement and renews his vigor in protection of the Lady Anora. Although it was his contract to do so, he would now do it without the promise of silver.
He heads straight into the common room and crosses the distance to the opposite wall where the namesake weapon is mounted above the hearth’s mantle. He grabs a chair to prop him up.
He heads straight into the common room and crosses the distance to the opposite wall where the namesake weapon is mounted above the hearth’s mantle. He grabs a chair to prop him up.
OOC:
Counting squares tells me that he will be able to grab it next round. Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(5) + 1 = 6
Jun 3, 2024 1:09 am
Aldric, clad in the droplets of his Goddess's domain, strides into action!
Trailing only slight behind the Dufgal, The Waveborn priest reaches out to the big man as he removes the spear. "Dufgal, prepare for gift of The Bitch Queen's spite and fury!"A crown in the form of tiny storm clouds forms around Dufgal's temples as the spell takes effect. Small arcs of lightning lash out in time with the thief's heartbeat, accelerating his thoughts and reflexes.
Trailing only slight behind the Dufgal, The Waveborn priest reaches out to the big man as he removes the spear. "Dufgal, prepare for gift of The Bitch Queen's spite and fury!"
OOC:
Casting Blessing, targeting my ally, Dufgal! Result: 19 - The ally (Dufgal) receives a +1 bonus to all attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and spell checks for 1 turn. Last edited June 3, 2024 2:48 am
Rolls
Initiative - (1d20+0)
(6) = 6
Bless spell check - (1d20+1)
(18) + 1 = 19
Jun 3, 2024 3:00 am
OOC:
Init!"I will bind this creature before it has a chance to make its way inside!" she says, sure of her ability.
She crosses to the door, and gets ready to undo the latch and spring into the space beyond!
"Go no further than you will." she offers, softly to the others, releasing them of their contract, should her powers fail her and she is set upon!
Then she undoes the latch, and steps outside; her arms outstretched and her incantation being weaved!
Last edited June 3, 2024 3:09 am
Rolls
Init! - (1d20)
(17) = 17
ROPEWORK! - (1d20+1)
(5) + 1 = 6
Jun 3, 2024 4:22 am
Ty wanders into the Wolf Spear's common room after Anora. Where he finds-
Is... is the mad Pelagian naked? He's going to fight the spectral hound naked?
"Ah... father Aldric--" How to put this, when he's meant to be blind and there are villagers about?
Before the elf can puzzle through that question, Anora the Blue is opening the inn door and stepping out into the night. What in all the painted hells is she doing?!
"Is... is that the sound of a latch I hear?" the beggar whines. He doesn't have to fake his disbelief or the edge of panic in his voice.
Is... is the mad Pelagian naked? He's going to fight the spectral hound naked?
"Ah... father Aldric--" How to put this, when he's meant to be blind and there are villagers about?
Before the elf can puzzle through that question, Anora the Blue is opening the inn door and stepping out into the night. What in all the painted hells is she doing?!
"Is... is that the sound of a latch I hear?" the beggar whines. He doesn't have to fake his disbelief or the edge of panic in his voice.
Rolls
Initiative - (1d20+1)
(7) + 1 = 8
Jun 3, 2024 4:42 am
OOC:
It'll be round or two before Anora attempts her spell. Let me up date the map...Jun 3, 2024 5:06 am
Several villagers who are seeking cover, having buttoned up the building, flee the common room as the fiend that haunts their village tries to gain access through the back kitchen door. Several exclaim at the sight of Aldric, but carry on to take cover in the private rooms, slamming the doors behind them.
From the kitchen, heavy impacts are accompanied by splintering sounds... is the thing clawing straight through the door?!
ROUND 2
No need for another round of posts -- I'll ask in the Discord if things look good, then carry us through the second round when Bless is cast, the spear is retrieved, and the front door is opened.
From the kitchen, heavy impacts are accompanied by splintering sounds... is the thing clawing straight through the door?!
ROUND 2
OOC:
Dufgal reaches the hearth, Aldric goes more or less with him. Anora and Ty enter the common room. I might not go step by step / inch by inch through this whole combat, but placement is important in these early stages. Map look about right?No need for another round of posts -- I'll ask in the Discord if things look good, then carry us through the second round when Bless is cast, the spear is retrieved, and the front door is opened.
[ +- ] Map at Beginning of Round 2
Rolls
Secret Roll
Jun 3, 2024 5:38 am
It doesn't take more than a span of seconds for the common room to empty -- save for the four strangers who have so recently come to town. The door to the yard shudders in the kitchen, but then Dufgal is retrieving the impressive-looking spear from its mounts on the wall above the inn's large stone hearth. Pelagia's blessings gird the man as he jumps off the chair he dragged over, spear now in hand.
At the front door, Ty watches (through his blindfold) in amazement as Anora -- starts unbolting the front door!
ROUND 3
For future Wizard and Elf rolls, remember that you can decide to Spellburn -- choosing to sacrifice points of STR, STA, or AGI and add them, one for one, to your casting roll. (But you have to choose how much in advance, unlike with Luck burning.)
Ty, Dulgal and Aldric, what are your actions as Anora rushes outside, casting as she goes?
Finally, Dufgal and Aldric, make INT checks, please. DC is 5 for Dufgal, 10 for Aldric.
At the front door, Ty watches (through his blindfold) in amazement as Anora -- starts unbolting the front door!
ROUND 3
OOC:
The Blessing has been cast, the spear retrieved, the front doors unbolted. In this, the third round, Anora is going through the front door and casting Rope Trick -- which will fail and be lost for the day on a roll of 6, indeed. Burning six points of Luck would turn that into a success -- though that would just be... a rope. ("The caster summons a rope of up to 100’ in length from nowhere. The rope remains in existence for 1 turn.")For future Wizard and Elf rolls, remember that you can decide to Spellburn -- choosing to sacrifice points of STR, STA, or AGI and add them, one for one, to your casting roll. (But you have to choose how much in advance, unlike with Luck burning.)
Ty, Dulgal and Aldric, what are your actions as Anora rushes outside, casting as she goes?
Finally, Dufgal and Aldric, make INT checks, please. DC is 5 for Dufgal, 10 for Aldric.
[ +- ] Map at Beginning of Round 3
Rolls
Secret Roll
Jun 3, 2024 5:57 am
Silently wondering if the commonfolk aren’t wiser for hiding and partaking in another form of lottery, Dufgal shakes it off and rushes to follow Anora even though she seems possessed of a wish for death. These high society folk are quite strange, he thinks. Telling us in the height of tension that we are released from our bond. But you aren’t the one paying, milady.
Nonetheless, the earnest thief takes his charge serious and prepares to defend her person.
Nonetheless, the earnest thief takes his charge serious and prepares to defend her person.
Rolls
Int check - (1d20)
(16) = 16
Jun 3, 2024 6:45 am
As he moves towards Anora the Blue, Dufgal notices something. The weight of the spear seems... off. It's quite light; a quick inspection shows that the blade at the end of the things isn't metal -- it's painted wood!
OOC:
Aldric can notice the same thing if he hits DC 10 with his roll: this is a decorative spear!Jun 3, 2024 7:00 am
Foregoing feeling foolish at the fondling of the fake, Dufgal snickers to himself and wonders where the real wolfspear is. The one which legends say fought off the hellhounds in the past. No matter. Not at this moment anyway. He quickly drops the display spear and switches tactics. He ducks for cover and readies his garrote.
Jun 3, 2024 10:06 am
OOC:
All that, and more!The caster summons a rope from nowhere and commands it to do his bidding. The rope can be used to entangle foes, climb walls, cross ravines, lift friends or enemies, shape itself into writing, or do other amazing things.
OOC:
I stick to the plan! Out the (front) door to bind the beast, so that Dufgal might land the killing blow with the famed spear!Jun 3, 2024 4:00 pm
Hoping to convince the Blue Wizardess of the folly of this course of action, Ty has no choice but to totter into the night after her.
"My lady," he calls, "have you evolved some sort of plan to defeat the monstrosity that seems already to have devoured the Skald Lloré?"
Strong shutters aren't much of a plan, but compared to this, the human villagers have the right idea. Or at least an idea.
"Or do you mean to overwhelm the beast with the sheer force of your righteous indignation?"
"My lady," he calls, "have you evolved some sort of plan to defeat the monstrosity that seems already to have devoured the Skald Lloré?"
Strong shutters aren't much of a plan, but compared to this, the human villagers have the right idea. Or at least an idea.
"Or do you mean to overwhelm the beast with the sheer force of your righteous indignation?"
Jun 4, 2024 3:41 am
OOC:
INT check, DC 10 ... and it's a 7. Failure!Last edited June 4, 2024 3:42 am
Rolls
INT check (DC 10) - (1d20)
(7) = 7
Jun 4, 2024 3:49 am
Aldric is convinced that Pelagia wants him to confront this beast! But, he's going to do even better than that. He has brought not just himself, but others to do the dirty work stand beside him. By anointing them Her power, surely they will prevail!
"All praise Pelagia, defender of Hirot!!" he cries out.
"All praise Pelagia, defender of Hirot!!" he cries out.
OOC:
Casting Blessing on Anora! Oops, it failed, raising his disapproval rating back to 4, but it does not trigger her ire.Last edited June 4, 2024 3:50 am
Rolls
Blessing - (1d20+1)
(5) + 1 = 6
Jun 4, 2024 5:47 am
Anora is uttering quiet words of power and gesturing as she strides through the now-open front doors. Out onto the edge of the village center she goes, to the currently deserted open-air market that stands between the Wolf-Spear and the Church of Justicia -- and that leads to the road beyond that leads up to the Jarl's holdfast.
"Bless you! Oh, bless you!" comes a hissed whisper from the darkness that both Anora and Ty hear above the ruckus coming from the other side of the building; soon enough a single villager breaks cover and runs for the front doors! The inn is one of the most fortified buildings in town, and as such a sought-after refuge.
Inside the buidling, Dufgal casts aside the faux spear, which thumps and clatters onto the wooden floor. Nearby, Aldric feels the scornful gaze of his deity, or her watery, eye-stalked agents. His blessing for Anora has been rejected, and Pelagia's fathomless displeasure is rising again...
ROUND 4
Top of Round 4. Technically our order is Anora (17), Ty (8), Aldric (6) and Dufgal (6). Just a note -- don't need to reroll these; DCC init values "stick" for the length of the combat or action.
"Bless you! Oh, bless you!" comes a hissed whisper from the darkness that both Anora and Ty hear above the ruckus coming from the other side of the building; soon enough a single villager breaks cover and runs for the front doors! The inn is one of the most fortified buildings in town, and as such a sought-after refuge.
Inside the buidling, Dufgal casts aside the faux spear, which thumps and clatters onto the wooden floor. Nearby, Aldric feels the scornful gaze of his deity, or her watery, eye-stalked agents. His blessing for Anora has been rejected, and Pelagia's fathomless displeasure is rising again...
ROUND 4
OOC:
EXCALIDRAW ATE MY MAP. Sigh. I'll recreate it tomorrow, but for now -- Anora and Ty are just outside the building, to the west, and Dufgal and Aldric are still in the common room. Make sense?Top of Round 4. Technically our order is Anora (17), Ty (8), Aldric (6) and Dufgal (6). Just a note -- don't need to reroll these; DCC init values "stick" for the length of the combat or action.
Rolls
Secret Roll
Villagers Making a Break for It - (1d7)
(1) = 1
Jun 4, 2024 6:12 am
Anita’s magic fails to materialize, and she doubts whether she would be able to bind an unwilling innkeeper with her powers tonight, never mind this beast of Hirot.
"It shall have to be righteous indignation tonight, I’m afraid! That, and a good blade! The weave has failed me!"
She sighs, stepping back towards the tavern door she had just opened.
"One more soul saved, at least! Let’s be within, before the beast catches our scent!"
"It shall have to be righteous indignation tonight, I’m afraid! That, and a good blade! The weave has failed me!"
She sighs, stepping back towards the tavern door she had just opened.
"One more soul saved, at least! Let’s be within, before the beast catches our scent!"
OOC:
Back inside and locking up, I guess! A comedy of errors!Jun 5, 2024 6:42 am
As she turns to head back into the Wolf-Spear, now fully realizing that the Hound must be on the other side of the building, Anora notes some tang in the air. Some invisible electricity, a scent that has no smell. It's like the night is holding its breath; it's like strands of pure chaos float on the air. Perhaps why her spell failed to take hold!
In the inn Aldric and Dufgal see Anora the Blue coming -- and with her another villager. A terrified one, who only does a double take at the state of Pelagia's priest before running for the hallway that leads to the guest rooms and the upper floors.
From the kitchen comes the sound of breaking, splintering wood, and a snarl that shakes the timbers of the building!
In the inn Aldric and Dufgal see Anora the Blue coming -- and with her another villager. A terrified one, who only does a double take at the state of Pelagia's priest before running for the hallway that leads to the guest rooms and the upper floors.
From the kitchen comes the sound of breaking, splintering wood, and a snarl that shakes the timbers of the building!
OOC:
Still Round 4 -- Ty, Dufgal and Aldric can act.Rolls
Secret Roll
Jun 5, 2024 7:28 pm
Dufgal quickly moves to close and bar the front door once more. And he upturns a table in front of it for additional security.
Jun 6, 2024 12:39 am
When Anora heads back inside, Ty gratefully retreats as well. Once inside, he assists Dufgal in closing and barring the Wolf-Spear's main door.
"I'll take sturdy walls over righteous indignation tonight, Madam Blue," he calls over his shoulder.
That's when the groan of cracking wood from the kitchen arrests his attention.
"It sounds like the thing is making headway back there. We should brace that door as best we can..."
So saying, the elf hurries into the kitchen to survey what might be used to hinder the spectral hound's entrance.
"I'll take sturdy walls over righteous indignation tonight, Madam Blue," he calls over his shoulder.
That's when the groan of cracking wood from the kitchen arrests his attention.
"It sounds like the thing is making headway back there. We should brace that door as best we can..."
So saying, the elf hurries into the kitchen to survey what might be used to hinder the spectral hound's entrance.
Jun 6, 2024 11:26 am
Anora suddenly looks every bit as tired and frayed as she feels. They had travelled since morning, and hadn’t stopped since, as the clock struck on a new day.
She sits a moment, as the door she had just barged out and then quickly back in was made strong again.
She just about heard the elf mention that the same should be done with the kitchen door, though she scarcely had the power to stand; her mortal energies sputtering as quickly as her arcane energy had.
Still… there was much left to do, and in a brief second of fortitude, she pushed herself back to her feet, and follows Ty into the kitchen.
"Another will be needed for the back!" she calls to Dufgal, hoping he was in an table lifting mood.
She sits a moment, as the door she had just barged out and then quickly back in was made strong again.
She just about heard the elf mention that the same should be done with the kitchen door, though she scarcely had the power to stand; her mortal energies sputtering as quickly as her arcane energy had.
Still… there was much left to do, and in a brief second of fortitude, she pushed herself back to her feet, and follows Ty into the kitchen.
"Another will be needed for the back!" she calls to Dufgal, hoping he was in an table lifting mood.
Jun 7, 2024 2:33 am
Aldric is quivering with anger at the moon Beast eluding him!* When the sound of splintering wood comes from the kitchen, he bravely covers everyone's flank and advances like a stalking shark that has smelled blood.** Not wanting to perturb Pelagia, he holds off on casting any more of her precious spells.
* - Actually, he was mostly just shivering because he was naked and sopping wet.
** - This, coincidentally, made him last to enter the kitchen.
* - Actually, he was mostly just shivering because he was naked and sopping wet.
** - This, coincidentally, made him last to enter the kitchen.
Jun 8, 2024 3:02 pm
OOC:
Sorry for the slight delay here, work was a bear this week. Our Rounds and actions here are -slightly- jumbled, but nothing I can't sort quick. Post coming!Jun 8, 2024 3:21 pm
Dufgal re-secures the front door as Anora takes a moment, Aldric shivers in his nakedness, and their elf companion moves to the kitchen. Ty does not like what he sees there -- the back door is partly broken in! One of the heavy iron hinges has been partly pulled from the jamb and there's a hole in the door where one of the vertical pieces of oak has been torn out entirely. There is motion in the blackness beyond that Ty can spy, and he hears the thing now -- not the howling and growling that has been sounding for minutes by now, but the wet and wheezing, gurgling breaths it takes!
ROUND 5
After Ty does that, the rest of the crew will be able to move into the kitchen and take an action as we start Round 5. And in fact, Ty will have another action as well.
ROUND 5
OOC:
To close out Round 4, Ty can attempt to reinforce the door. He can do this with brute force moving heavy / solid things into place (test STR vs. DC 10), or smartly by knowing where it most needs reinforcing, finding the right items from the kitchen to use, etc (test INT vs. DC 10). If successful, roll a 1d4 to add HP back to the failing door. You could also spend your action doing something else, of course -- having a look into the back yard, changing your mind and running away, casting a spell, etc. Up to you!After Ty does that, the rest of the crew will be able to move into the kitchen and take an action as we start Round 5. And in fact, Ty will have another action as well.
Jun 8, 2024 4:04 pm
The strange noises coming in from the dark sound odd to Ty's ear, but do not give him pause. That's no hound-- at least none of which he has any experience. Still, the basic issue hasn't changed. Whatever is out there wants in, and Tyravasiel-Llir desires quite the opposite.
A quick glance about the kitchen shows him what may be moved: a wooden worktable laden with preparatory boards, vessels and utensils; a flanking pair of benches; perhaps that rack of pots if they have more time. And it shows him where the weight may best be applied: over on the jamb side, where the creature's efforts have weakened the hinges.
Ty starts with the table. Dropping his cane and all pretense of beggary, the elf shoves the worktable towards the door. He overlaps the wall on the jamb side so that if the hinges go, their intruder will have to shove into the middle of the table's bulk.
A quick glance about the kitchen shows him what may be moved: a wooden worktable laden with preparatory boards, vessels and utensils; a flanking pair of benches; perhaps that rack of pots if they have more time. And it shows him where the weight may best be applied: over on the jamb side, where the creature's efforts have weakened the hinges.
Ty starts with the table. Dropping his cane and all pretense of beggary, the elf shoves the worktable towards the door. He overlaps the wall on the jamb side so that if the hinges go, their intruder will have to shove into the middle of the table's bulk.
OOC:
Bah. Okay, I shall burn 3 points of Luck to make this a success.Last edited June 8, 2024 4:23 pm
Rolls
INT Test (0) - (1d20)
(7) = 7
Potential Door HP Recovery - (1d4)
(4) = 4
Jun 8, 2024 4:41 pm
Ty is in the middle of pounding the hinge back into the jamb with a heavy wooden mallet as his companions come into the kitchen, seeing and hearing the same things the elf did just seconds before. There's a rumbling growl from the darkness outside the building, then a shadow shifts and an eye is suddenly pressed to the jagged hole in the wooden door. It is pupil-less and silver, that baleful eye, and it sees!
OOC:
Okay, properly Round 5 now, Ty has restored 4 hp back to the door. You can all act in any order. Up to three people can cooperate in trying to reinforce the door -- adding +2d to the roll for whomever is making it. (So you'll roll a d30 for a STR or INT check vs. DC 10. The next fix, though, only restores 1d3hp to the door, as there's only so much you can do to fix it. The next roll would be 1d2, etc.)Jun 8, 2024 4:50 pm
Always used to being told to "do it yerself, you lazy git!", Dufgal never considered collaborating. He simply saw the damage to the door and rushed to push a stand of shelves over to add barriers to the hound’s entry.
Rolls
Str vs DC10 - (1d20+1)
(10) + 1 = 11
Added HP - (1d3)
(3) = 3
Jun 8, 2024 7:09 pm
Aldric watches as the men of action bravely brace the door, their bodies inches from a fiend so fierce that it has scared a host of mounted warriors into inaction and cowardice. Surely, Pelagia must see that Aldric is leading these disciples against the foul creature that has earned her ire?
When the devil hound's silvery eye peers forth from the other side of the damaged door, Aldric is filled with righteous rage! He thrusts his arm forward, presenting Pelagia's holy symbol carved on the flat of his oar. His voice booms forth with a preacher's conviction and showmanship: "MOON BITCH! I have shat in my pants and breeches - hang them on your neck and wipe your mouth with them!!"
When the devil hound's silvery eye peers forth from the other side of the damaged door, Aldric is filled with righteous rage! He thrusts his arm forward, presenting Pelagia's holy symbol carved on the flat of his oar. His voice booms forth with a preacher's conviction and showmanship: "MOON BITCH! I have shat in my pants and breeches - hang them on your neck and wipe your mouth with them!!"
OOC:
Turn Unholy! Rolls
Turn Unholy (1d20+CL+PER+LUC) - (1d20+1)
(7) + 1 = 8
Jun 9, 2024 5:12 am
This unmovable Pelagia was as grim as Anora needed to be in this moment, and for the first time the wizardess felt a kinship with the sea-bitch.
"You chose your mistress poorly!" she mutters to the cleric, as she stalks closer to the eye in the slit; her sword as silvery as the thing she was about to run it through!
When she’s got quite close enough, she slips her blade through the gap, and hopes to blind the thing, if not scramble its brain with her blade!
"You chose your mistress poorly!" she mutters to the cleric, as she stalks closer to the eye in the slit; her sword as silvery as the thing she was about to run it through!
When she’s got quite close enough, she slips her blade through the gap, and hopes to blind the thing, if not scramble its brain with her blade!
Rolls
Strength - (1d20-1)
(16) - 1 = 15
Longsword Damage - (1d8-1)
(5) - 1 = 4
Jun 9, 2024 6:31 am
That eye -- that repellent eye! It peers straight at Aldric as he calls upon his goddess and her briny influences -- to no avail! The priest senses it now, as does Anora as she darts forward with her sword, trying to stab the Hound through the hole in the door. It is a thing of pure chaos, this monster. This is no crazed animal, no natural or even corrupted thing at all. Evil has coalesced and taken form... and that form shrieks and wails as steel drives into its queer and rubbery flesh.
When Anora draws back her sword, the blade is wet with a thick black blood that begins to evaporate before her eyes. The bellowing beast recoils from the door, and that's when Dufgal starts muscling some shelves into place, intending to further bolster the blockade.
When Anora draws back her sword, the blade is wet with a thick black blood that begins to evaporate before her eyes. The bellowing beast recoils from the door, and that's when Dufgal starts muscling some shelves into place, intending to further bolster the blockade.
OOC:
The sword definitely appears to have hurt the thing. Ty is up to close out the round.Jun 9, 2024 9:23 am
"The blade, not the Bitch, will serve us tonight!" Anora remarks with a grimace, as she watches the blood evaporate from the blade.
Jun 9, 2024 4:00 pm
While Anora displays her valor, Tyravasiel-Llir labors to save his neck. That other necks might also be saved is a happy coincidence.
"Just so, Lady!" he huffs, while overturning a bench and dragging it to the back of their makeshift barricade. "Should the beast... come peeping again... give it steel for its-- trouble..."
Ty shoves the sturdy wood into place, hoping to add further weight and friction against another attempt on the kitchen door.
"Just so, Lady!" he huffs, while overturning a bench and dragging it to the back of their makeshift barricade. "Should the beast... come peeping again... give it steel for its-- trouble..."
Ty shoves the sturdy wood into place, hoping to add further weight and friction against another attempt on the kitchen door.
Last edited June 9, 2024 6:02 pm
Rolls
INT Test for Barricade (0) - (1d20)
(20) = 20
Potential Door HP Recovery - (1d2)
(1) = 1
Jun 9, 2024 5:09 pm
When Dufgal covers the hole with the heavy shelves, then Ty rams home the bench to hold it all tightly in place, everyone present can tell that this is a formidable blockade. Indeed, the beast outside screams in a warbling cry, then rams itself into the door not once or twice, but three times.
It shudders, but it holds! And so, perhaps bleeding from the wound opened by Anora's blade, the monster moves off, spluttering and gurgling into the night...
What's next?!
It shudders, but it holds! And so, perhaps bleeding from the wound opened by Anora's blade, the monster moves off, spluttering and gurgling into the night...
OOC:
Dropping out of combat rounds -- Ty's critical makes the door impassible for the fiend.What's next?!
Jun 9, 2024 6:52 pm
OOC:
sing the praises of Lady Anora, of course.He wished that the citizens bore witness as it would certainly count as assurances that the wizardess should be taken out of any lottery pool.
Jun 10, 2024 1:05 am
Anora, looking the worse for wear after the events of the day, awkwardly stands above the kneeling Dufgal!
She stoops a little to put a hand on his shoulder, and then slips the hand around and then under to grab his arm and lift him up to his feet. She pats him on the shoulder again, and gives him as warm a smile as she can muster, given the day they’d just put down.
"Use them to bar me from doing something foolish next time… like running out into the night to meet the beast." she says, with some amusement, wondering what she would have done, if she had met the beast head on in that moment.
"Ty followed me to face the beast! Our brave beggar is owed more than me!" she says, looking at the elf! Then she looks to the cleric:
"Can you sense it out there, Aldric?" she broaches tentatively. The man hadn’t been right since they set foot in the village.
Had the village magician interfered with the man somehow?…
"Have we driven the beast off for tonight?"
She stoops a little to put a hand on his shoulder, and then slips the hand around and then under to grab his arm and lift him up to his feet. She pats him on the shoulder again, and gives him as warm a smile as she can muster, given the day they’d just put down.
"Use them to bar me from doing something foolish next time… like running out into the night to meet the beast." she says, with some amusement, wondering what she would have done, if she had met the beast head on in that moment.
"Ty followed me to face the beast! Our brave beggar is owed more than me!" she says, looking at the elf! Then she looks to the cleric:
"Can you sense it out there, Aldric?" she broaches tentatively. The man hadn’t been right since they set foot in the village.
Had the village magician interfered with the man somehow?…
"Have we driven the beast off for tonight?"
Last edited June 10, 2024 1:06 am
Jun 10, 2024 1:49 pm
Ty straightens from his work on the barricade. He puts both palms in the small of his back and stretches, wincing. He's never been one for physical labor, but desperate times calls for desperate measures.
They might have driven off the beast, but why was it here in the first place? Anora the Blue is playing a needless and dangerous game, but like all games, the rules and conditions of play hold a certain interest for the active mind.
"Curious that the Hound came to Hirot even after slaying Lloré," Ty muses aloud. "If the beast were merely driven by hunger, then why didn't it stop after it had a belly full of skald?" He purses his lips below the blindfold. "No, the thing looked for a particular sacrifice. And when that went missing, it came to take its revenge."
They might have driven off the beast, but why was it here in the first place? Anora the Blue is playing a needless and dangerous game, but like all games, the rules and conditions of play hold a certain interest for the active mind.
"Curious that the Hound came to Hirot even after slaying Lloré," Ty muses aloud. "If the beast were merely driven by hunger, then why didn't it stop after it had a belly full of skald?" He purses his lips below the blindfold. "No, the thing looked for a particular sacrifice. And when that went missing, it came to take its revenge."
Jun 10, 2024 3:12 pm
Not wanting to offend the locals, Dufgal places the replica fake spear back on its mounting brackets above the mantle.
Jun 11, 2024 4:26 am
OOC:
Giving you all a moment. I’m busy with work travel this week, but will be keeping an eye on this…Jun 11, 2024 8:50 am
"Perhaps this magician controls the Jarl, the lottery and the beast itself!" she speaks quietly to the others.
"The magician’s hunger was not satisfied, and so the beast came on!"
"The magician’s hunger was not satisfied, and so the beast came on!"
Last edited June 11, 2024 8:51 am
Jun 11, 2024 4:36 pm
To Anora, whate’er it be, milady, I believe that you will lead us to victory! I’se seen the magics growing’ in ya
Jun 12, 2024 1:07 am
Ty lifts a shoulder. "I was going to ask the little human if he'd discerned a pattern in the lots that have been drawn," he supplies. "But Wee Tocs absented himself when the thegns arrived."
The elf thinks a moment, then adds, "It would not stagger me to learn that those who go to the stones are not chosen as randomly as Sylle Ru would have one believe."
The elf thinks a moment, then adds, "It would not stagger me to learn that those who go to the stones are not chosen as randomly as Sylle Ru would have one believe."
Jun 12, 2024 2:33 am
Quote:
"Can you sense it out there, Aldric?" she broaches tentatively. The man hadn’t been right since they set foot in the village.No effect!
Aldric contains his vexations, for now. "Our knowledge is like a pitiful tide pool drying in the sun. Let the tides of answers flow! We just have to ask the right questions to the right people."
Looking down at his form, he realizes his state of dress. at no point since he woke did he realize his nudity. As if he had always intended it, he strides up the stairs to squeak into his armor, but returns hastily.
Last edited June 12, 2024 2:34 am
Jun 12, 2024 3:07 am
"That is to say that the boy is outside?" Anora wonders, and then wonders again if it’s safe to conduct business tonight now that the hound has seemingly been driven back.
"The boy and the crone seem likely to provide us answers." she goes on. Then she furrows her brow, and wonders how willing the group is to involve themselves in the town’s trouble upon the sun’s rising.
Something Dolsten has said before the beast’s attack set her hair on end then. He had seemed surprised, and even confused as to why they had been sent to fetch him.
"Dolsten!" she calls out, hoping the man would crawl out of the room they had left him in!
"The boy and the crone seem likely to provide us answers." she goes on. Then she furrows her brow, and wonders how willing the group is to involve themselves in the town’s trouble upon the sun’s rising.
Something Dolsten has said before the beast’s attack set her hair on end then. He had seemed surprised, and even confused as to why they had been sent to fetch him.
"Dolsten!" she calls out, hoping the man would crawl out of the room they had left him in!
Jun 12, 2024 5:47 am
The inn had fallen quiet when the creature left the kitchen door, presumably to fade off into the night to lick it’s wounds, or perhaps find some easier prey. The occupants of the Wolf-Spear were many, but they were practiced at this grim exercise of lying low. So the voices of the travelers carry through the building, and at various times people whispering, "Shush!" and, "Shhh!" can be heard. None dare move from their hiding places, though, until Anora raises her voice and calls out for Dolsten.
The man comes running from the back room where her and Morgan have been sheltering, and a grimace marks his face as he approaches.
"Hush now! Don’t draw the thing back!" he says in low but urgent tones.
Morgan then appears in the doorway to the common room as well, behind the worried man, and she nearly jumps from her skin as a scream and then a howl both breach the stout building’s defenses. It sounds like some other poor soul has been found by the monster!
Dolsten
"Hush now! Don’t draw the thing back!" he says in low but urgent tones.
Morgan then appears in the doorway to the common room as well, behind the worried man, and she nearly jumps from her skin as a scream and then a howl both breach the stout building’s defenses. It sounds like some other poor soul has been found by the monster!
Rolls
Secret Roll
Jun 13, 2024 7:40 pm
It sounds to Ty as if Anora the Blue has something she wishes to discuss with the person of interest to Relfarious the Shrewd. Casting up a silent prayer that the conversation will conclude their business in this unfortunate town, the elf retrieves his 'cane' and ambles up to the crack in the door left by the beast's assault.
He unabashedly presses a blindfolded eye to the gap, then rolls his gaze this way and that, trying to see if he might catch a glimpse of the monster's victim. Or, failing that, the whereabouts of the thing itself.
He unabashedly presses a blindfolded eye to the gap, then rolls his gaze this way and that, trying to see if he might catch a glimpse of the monster's victim. Or, failing that, the whereabouts of the thing itself.
Jun 14, 2024 5:16 am
Ty tries to spy what he can of the yard beyond the now reinforced door, but to no avail. His weird vision paints the night in shades unknown to mortal man, but the beast appears to have moved on…
Jun 14, 2024 12:56 pm
Anora winces at the pained scream, but takes it as license for her to speak freely. The fact that another soul was claimed did somewhat dent her theory that Sylle was controlling the thing in targeted attacks. No matter. One thing at a time.
She speaks only slightly lower than normal, as she brushes off the man’s worries and gets into her line of questioning:
"You seem confused as to why Relfarious sent for you. Why was that?"
She speaks only slightly lower than normal, as she brushes off the man’s worries and gets into her line of questioning:
"You seem confused as to why Relfarious sent for you. Why was that?"
Jun 14, 2024 10:05 pm
Dolsten
Morgan Haverson
OOC:
PER test please, Anora. Try to hit or beat DC 10.Jun 15, 2024 5:50 pm
Aldric unabashedly makes his way into the room with the wash tub where his belongings are unceremoniously dumped on the ground. Propping his oar against the wall, he squeaks his way into his armour and dons his trail-worn robes. As he changes, he notes the horrifying screams, but can't help feeling rather lucky instead of revolted.
Better you than me, though, you poor sap.
Reflecting on what had just happened, he comes to terms with failing to turn the beast. Pelagia didn't trust him with much power, or perhaps it was more that the bitch queen was parsimonious with her gifts. Either way, that was not going to be a tool at his disposal. Anora's sword had persuaded the malicious moon mongrel to hunt elsewhere, at least. But the blood evaporated right off the blade, indicating this was not a flesh and blood creature. Swords were not likely to win the day.
What to do?
After dressing, he reunites with Ty and Dufgal downstairs, not wanting to interrupt Anora's business with Dolsten - after all, it was the very task they were contracted to accomplish. He addresses the two with his usual confidence and swagger, no hint of embarassment of his many follies and failures in the past 24 hours. "We survived the ass-licking moon beast! Praise be to Pelagia! And praise to your cunning and courage."
He pauses for a moment, and then states in the most matter of fact voice as if he were explaining the price of potatoes in the town market.
"I am thoroughly interested in killing this moon bitch. Pelagia has marked it as abhorrent to her, and my devotion requires me to react."
It is not just his wounded pride has consumed his sense of self-preservation, after all. As terrifying as the moon beast was, it is nothing compared to the thought of angering Pelagia!
"Are you with me? I propose we learn all we can. The crone and the boy have information that may help us. Rest assured, the followers of Shul are ever stupid, feeble, and on the brink of failure - even at the height of their mightiest triumph! It is the cycle, ever waning after it waxes. I guarantee this plan that Sylle Ru has cooked up here is standing upon a weak leg, and if we cut that leg out, the whole thing will fall apart."
Better you than me, though, you poor sap.
Reflecting on what had just happened, he comes to terms with failing to turn the beast. Pelagia didn't trust him with much power, or perhaps it was more that the bitch queen was parsimonious with her gifts. Either way, that was not going to be a tool at his disposal. Anora's sword had persuaded the malicious moon mongrel to hunt elsewhere, at least. But the blood evaporated right off the blade, indicating this was not a flesh and blood creature. Swords were not likely to win the day.
What to do?
After dressing, he reunites with Ty and Dufgal downstairs, not wanting to interrupt Anora's business with Dolsten - after all, it was the very task they were contracted to accomplish. He addresses the two with his usual confidence and swagger, no hint of embarassment of his many follies and failures in the past 24 hours. "We survived the ass-licking moon beast! Praise be to Pelagia! And praise to your cunning and courage."
He pauses for a moment, and then states in the most matter of fact voice as if he were explaining the price of potatoes in the town market.
"I am thoroughly interested in killing this moon bitch. Pelagia has marked it as abhorrent to her, and my devotion requires me to react."
It is not just his wounded pride has consumed his sense of self-preservation, after all. As terrifying as the moon beast was, it is nothing compared to the thought of angering Pelagia!
"Are you with me? I propose we learn all we can. The crone and the boy have information that may help us. Rest assured, the followers of Shul are ever stupid, feeble, and on the brink of failure - even at the height of their mightiest triumph! It is the cycle, ever waning after it waxes. I guarantee this plan that Sylle Ru has cooked up here is standing upon a weak leg, and if we cut that leg out, the whole thing will fall apart."
Jun 16, 2024 10:51 am
"We saw as much as we would like at this first brush!" Anora sighs, thankful that the blade had driven the thing off for now, though bitter that it hadn’t been a more final end to the thing.
OOC:
Here we go!Last edited June 16, 2024 10:54 am
Rolls
Pulling the Pers Strings! - (1d20+1)
(2) + 1 = 3
Jun 16, 2024 8:16 pm
Tensions are still too high for Anora to notice Dolsten's clenched fists as he answers, then further sounds of commotion in the village reach their ears. Shouts rather than screams, and the telltale noises one would associate with a fight: grunts, crashes, the ringing of steel.
"Nothan and the watch must be fighting the demon!" Morgan says excitedly, even as she pulls a cleaver from the rack in the kitchen. "We must help them! There might be hope yet for my father!"
Weapon in hand, the girl then darts back into the common room and makes for the front door.
"Nothan and the watch must be fighting the demon!" Morgan says excitedly, even as she pulls a cleaver from the rack in the kitchen. "We must help them! There might be hope yet for my father!"
Weapon in hand, the girl then darts back into the common room and makes for the front door.
OOC:
Everyone present sees / hears this last bit, her making for the front door.Rolls
Secret Roll
Secret Roll
Jun 17, 2024 1:14 am
"The townsfolk suddenly find their courage." Anora remarks, not one hundred percent sincerely. To her ear, it sounded more like a brawl than a battle with a demon. Still, something was afoot, and it seemed like the village was safe to traverse.
She turns to the other three, deep in conversation:
"I will return in a moment." she says, not expecting them to follow her. She suspected that their contract was void on account of some treachery by Relfarious, and so couldn’t ask the others to follow her if they didn’t want to.
She turns to the other three, deep in conversation:
"I will return in a moment." she says, not expecting them to follow her. She suspected that their contract was void on account of some treachery by Relfarious, and so couldn’t ask the others to follow her if they didn’t want to.
Jun 17, 2024 4:04 am
Tyravasiel-Llir answers Aldric's call to arms with uncomfortable silence. Ty's facade of devotion to Pelagia has been a useful cover under which to traverse the human lands, but dying for that ruse-- and with no prospect of reward, to boot-- well, that's another matter.
After a moment, the elf swallows and turns to Dufgal. "Did you find anything of interest in Dolsten's house? Not Dolsten himself, I assume, since he's been creeping about the dark woods like a fool--"
And at that moment, the busty Morgan stalks past with cleaver in hand, followed by Anora the Blue.
"What is wrong with you humans?" Ty calls after them, exasperated. "We just brought you inside, and you're going out again?"
After a moment, the elf swallows and turns to Dufgal. "Did you find anything of interest in Dolsten's house? Not Dolsten himself, I assume, since he's been creeping about the dark woods like a fool--"
And at that moment, the busty Morgan stalks past with cleaver in hand, followed by Anora the Blue.
"What is wrong with you humans?" Ty calls after them, exasperated. "We just brought you inside, and you're going out again?"
Jun 17, 2024 4:54 am
The thief watches as the young lady storms out and then in a bit of dismay as Anora leaves out the front door a second time.
Looking at Ty with a sideways glance, seeing his stance shift, Dufgal takes out the three diamond shaped pieces of glass that he found in Dolsten’s place.
I’se thought these mighta been sumthin’. Not much else but papers with scrawlins on
Looking at Ty with a sideways glance, seeing his stance shift, Dufgal takes out the three diamond shaped pieces of glass that he found in Dolsten’s place.
I’se thought these mighta been sumthin’. Not much else but papers with scrawlins on
Jun 17, 2024 10:25 am
Anora turns to face Ty as she stands in the doorway. Her gaze is not hard. She didn’t know that she had the force within her to project contempt or anything like it at this late hour.
Was it fear that gripped the elf? Did spending too long within the walls of Hirot inflict a craven sickness on the men here?…
"I go merely to check that the crone isn’t the source of those cries." she lies, trying to give the elf an out, if he wasn’t up to the task of joining her.
Was it fear that gripped the elf? Did spending too long within the walls of Hirot inflict a craven sickness on the men here?…
"I go merely to check that the crone isn’t the source of those cries." she lies, trying to give the elf an out, if he wasn’t up to the task of joining her.
Jun 17, 2024 11:51 am
OOC:
Should I assume that Ty does not recognize these diamond-shaped pieces of glass?Jun 18, 2024 4:13 am
OOC:
They appear to be three glass quarrels -- small panes that would be fit into a door or window. Rare in a town like Hirot, where most windows are just shuttered. These are well-made, and look to be quite old.[ +- ] Picture a few of these...
Jun 18, 2024 5:25 am
Morgan knows the heavy door and all its locks well, so the girl is through the suddenly open portal in almost no time at all. Her steps outside are more hesitant, as under the night sky the sounds of growls and fighting are much more distinct. Checking to make sure Anora is with her, the roughed-up brunette in the dirty and torn blouse and skirt prepares to race into the market square, seeking the battle!
Rolls
Secret Roll
Secret Roll
Jun 18, 2024 5:43 am
Having a spot of Deja Vu, Dufgal once again sees Lady Anora dart into the dark maw of danger. This time, he feels different. The circumstances have changed since Dolsten returned alive. Proof of life has been achieved. So, why then does this mage still force the fickle fates? Why does she seem to seek death? Is this part of her arcane process?
Dufgal decides to stay in the common room and see what Aldric does.
Dufgal decides to stay in the common room and see what Aldric does.
Jun 19, 2024 2:45 am
Tightening the hair upon her head once more, Anora nods to the woman, and then clutches up her sword.
Without looking back at her jelly-legged companions in the makeshift bastion, she surges after the busty barmaid!
Without looking back at her jelly-legged companions in the makeshift bastion, she surges after the busty barmaid!
Jun 19, 2024 5:55 am
Inside the Wolf-Spear, the men hem and haw, even as the two women dart out into the night, into what surely must be mortal danger. Leading the way is the slender but so very well-endowed young barmaid who fears she's lost her father; behind comes the older, big-haired, blue-clad sorceress with her sword and her spells.
The gloom outside the stoutly-made, brightly-lit roadhouse is deep and menacing. It takes a moment for eyes to adjust, and once they have...
Grisly fluids and moonlit, glistening hunks of flesh on the ground greet the two women as they rush into the wide-open market, towards the sounds of the fight. The remains of some poor victim. There is a disturbing smell in the air, something more than spilled blood. Something unholy. And there's the sound, the gurgling wheeze of ragged breaths, those drawn through terrible fangs, down into wet lungs born of no mortal beast.
And then, there -- beneath the platform and the big wooden box which Anora presumes names are drawn from publicly, Nothan the Younger stands fighting, stands pained and bleeding. His foe surely has crawled from some demon-pit, some shadow-realm no mortals not named Sezrekan the Elder have ever visited. The fiend is part wolf and part... lizard? Fur and fangs, horns and gills, talons and scales and fluttering fins the monster has, but all the same it slips through the dark with its teeth gleaming and bloody claws clutching.
There is an exchange the two women witness in the moonlight, one where Nothan's sword bites deeply, but also where the creature plunges a taloned hand straight into the man, into his chest. The watchman groans and dies on the spot, and when his form slithers to the ground, followed by the clatter of his sword, the Hound holds high the man's still pulsing heart.
Then it howls -- oh, how it howls!
The gloom outside the stoutly-made, brightly-lit roadhouse is deep and menacing. It takes a moment for eyes to adjust, and once they have...
Grisly fluids and moonlit, glistening hunks of flesh on the ground greet the two women as they rush into the wide-open market, towards the sounds of the fight. The remains of some poor victim. There is a disturbing smell in the air, something more than spilled blood. Something unholy. And there's the sound, the gurgling wheeze of ragged breaths, those drawn through terrible fangs, down into wet lungs born of no mortal beast.
Nothan the Younger
The Hound
Then it howls -- oh, how it howls!
Rolls
Secret Roll
Secret Roll
Secret Roll
Secret Roll
Jun 19, 2024 1:58 pm
Ty watches the barmaid and sorceress depart, but does not move to follow. If they wish to rush needlessly into mortal peril armed only with a cleaver and a sword, then so be it. For his part, if he must face the menace-- by no means a foregone conclusion-- then he'd prefer to go armed with knowledge.
The elf considers the diamonds of glass that Dufgal has shown him. "Odd treasures for a humble tanner to keep about his cottage," Ty observes. "These 'scrawlins' you mention-- might I review those as well? Not that I doubt your powers of comprehension," he finishes, unconvincingly.
The elf considers the diamonds of glass that Dufgal has shown him. "Odd treasures for a humble tanner to keep about his cottage," Ty observes. "These 'scrawlins' you mention-- might I review those as well? Not that I doubt your powers of comprehension," he finishes, unconvincingly.
Jun 19, 2024 10:01 pm
Aldric feigns that he is oblivious to the lukewarm reaction his allies had to his enthusiastic pledge to slay the beast. In truth, he cannot blame them; his luck had been disastrous in the past several hours. But, his pride did not allow him to acknowledge it. And surely, his luck would change for the better*. He would surely pounce on some surprising opportunity once it presented itself.
What are they discussing now? Shards of glass? Could this be my opportunity? Praise Pelagia!
Aldric finds the supply of beer and pours three mugs of ale. After thoroughly salting his own, he clanks the mugs onto the table where his company.
"And what is it your investigators have unearthed, there? Scrawlins, you say? Let's have a look!"
Aldric gets caught up to speed on how Dufgal procured these, and will look over the glass and the scrawlings to see if they are familiar or intelligible to him.
* - Though, had he been paying attention to the pattern of his life, this did not seem likely. Clearly, a lack of self-reflection was one of Aldric's many flaws.
What are they discussing now? Shards of glass? Could this be my opportunity? Praise Pelagia!
Aldric finds the supply of beer and pours three mugs of ale. After thoroughly salting his own, he clanks the mugs onto the table where his company.
"And what is it your investigators have unearthed, there? Scrawlins, you say? Let's have a look!"
Aldric gets caught up to speed on how Dufgal procured these, and will look over the glass and the scrawlings to see if they are familiar or intelligible to him.
* - Though, had he been paying attention to the pattern of his life, this did not seem likely. Clearly, a lack of self-reflection was one of Aldric's many flaws.
Last edited June 19, 2024 10:01 pm
Jun 19, 2024 10:55 pm
Dufgal urgently places the papers on the table and says, I’se don’t have any comp rehenshuns of any of these
Jun 20, 2024 2:12 am
OOC:
GM, could we get a recap of the papers that Dufgal found in Dolsten's cottage? Now that literate PCs are having a look at them?Jun 20, 2024 5:37 am
While Anora and Morgan are confronted with a foe outside that looks fearsome indeed, and while Aldric stews over his inability to stir his fellows to action inside the Wolf-Spear… Ty unfolds and reads the document Dufgal found at Dolsten’s tannery. It does not take the elf long to realize what it is — a missive, a note, a long passage of self-reflection. It is a dairy or journal entry, unintended for the eyes of anyone other than the author, and it was penned by Dolsten himself. The man was struggling with thoughts of infidelity, of lust and desire for someone other than his wife… and the deep shame he felt for those feelings.
The subject of his humiliating yearning? Relfarious the Shrewd.
The subject of his humiliating yearning? Relfarious the Shrewd.
Jun 20, 2024 8:27 am
It’s all Anora can do to not look away at the very sight which she had willingly sought out. Perhaps willingly was the wrong word, as her excursion to Hirot had hoped to be less eventful. Nevertheless, she had stepped out into the night with the woman who she hadn’t been able to rescue hours earlier on the road.
"Call for your father." she mutters to the barmaid, hoping that his huge fists and brutal axe might be nearby.
She holds her blade forward. At the very least, she would follow Nothan’s death with one strikingly similar.
"Call for your father." she mutters to the barmaid, hoping that his huge fists and brutal axe might be nearby.
She holds her blade forward. At the very least, she would follow Nothan’s death with one strikingly similar.
Jun 20, 2024 1:23 pm
Through the porous cloth that putatively shields others from the uncomfortable sight of his blindness, Ty studies the paper that Dufgal has placed on the table. As he reads, the elf's mouth contorts with distaste-- not at Dolsten's admission of desire, but at the shame he feels, his obvious need to hide his passion for the other man. So human, these mental distortions; so small-minded.
"So Dolsten and Relfarious are lovers," Ty summarizes, for Dufgal's benefit. "That explains the interest of our patron in the fate of a rustic tanner." The beggar pauses, then scoffs, "Why not say so? Why does Dolsten not simply go to him, if that is the way his desire runs? No, rather the man tries to bury his feelings in ink and hidden parchment." Ty shakes a palm at the page, as if gesturing at a burnt supper.
"So Dolsten and Relfarious are lovers," Ty summarizes, for Dufgal's benefit. "That explains the interest of our patron in the fate of a rustic tanner." The beggar pauses, then scoffs, "Why not say so? Why does Dolsten not simply go to him, if that is the way his desire runs? No, rather the man tries to bury his feelings in ink and hidden parchment." Ty shakes a palm at the page, as if gesturing at a burnt supper.
Jun 20, 2024 2:29 pm
Dufgal hears the secrets spilled out unceremoniously and is struck with the strong urge to return the letter to its author. Yet, he doesn’t want to rip it out of the elf’s hand and risk damaging it. He waits until the fingers release it and then he swiftly grabs and rolls it up. He tucks it safely away, stands up, and looks around for the tanner.
OOC:
I lost track of Dolsten. Is he in the common room? If he is, Dufgal would start toward him. Jun 21, 2024 6:20 pm
Dolsten
"Morgan!" The man hisses after his niece. "Morgan, come back!" The man is paying no mind to the activities of Ty, Aldric and Dufgal — and looks like he too might be about to dive headlong in to the bloody night.
Morgan Haverson
Limb from limb, the man is torn to pieces before he’s savagely decapitated… by the monster twisting his head around not once, but twice before it comes free of his ragged, spurting neck. The violence and the glee in the demon-hound's glowing eyes is appalling.
Morgan takes a soft step backwards as Anora raises her sword, lips trembling as she tries to call for her father. "F-father?" the barmaid says weakly, before calling out, stronger, "Father?!"
Perhaps to Anora’s surprise, as she too watches the beast visit its carnage on the poor watchman, a voice answers. From south of the market, from the road that leads out of town, towards the standing stones… it answers.
Broegan Haverson
Jun 22, 2024 9:52 am
The thing didn’t pounce on Anora the moment it saw her. That was something. Perhaps it remembered how her steel felt, lodged halfway towards its presumed-brain. Perhaps it wasn’t keen to feel the blade cut deeper than it had before.
"Don’t run." she mutters to the woman, worried that it would activate some prey drive, as if the thing was merely a large dog.
"Slowly retreat, if you wish!"
But Anora would sooner fall upon the thing in tandem with the others and hopefully bring it down with brute force.
"Don’t run." she mutters to the woman, worried that it would activate some prey drive, as if the thing was merely a large dog.
"Slowly retreat, if you wish!"
But Anora would sooner fall upon the thing in tandem with the others and hopefully bring it down with brute force.
Jun 22, 2024 11:25 am
Clueless to context, uh, sir? the thief tentatively attempts to get Dolsten’s attention.
I’se guessing’ you’se wantin’ this secreted once more with a grubby hand, Dufgal holds the parchment out towards the back of the tanner.
I’se guessing’ you’se wantin’ this secreted once more with a grubby hand, Dufgal holds the parchment out towards the back of the tanner.
Jun 22, 2024 6:28 pm
Ty meanders after Dufgal, to where Dolsten peers anxiously out into the night.
"Seems a waste of effort, doesn't it?" the elf commiserates. "I presume that you and the skald freed her from her chains. At great cost, to one of you. Now she's run right back into the teeth of peril." He sighs and shakes his head. "Sir, some people seem not to love their own lives. Do not compound her folly with your own. I trust that Anora the Blue will bring her back should the danger manifest itself."
At least, Ty hopes that might be the case. Anora, too, has little apparent concern for her own safety.
"Seems a waste of effort, doesn't it?" the elf commiserates. "I presume that you and the skald freed her from her chains. At great cost, to one of you. Now she's run right back into the teeth of peril." He sighs and shakes his head. "Sir, some people seem not to love their own lives. Do not compound her folly with your own. I trust that Anora the Blue will bring her back should the danger manifest itself."
At least, Ty hopes that might be the case. Anora, too, has little apparent concern for her own safety.
Jun 22, 2024 10:34 pm
Ciriaco says:
Through the porous cloth that putatively shields others from the uncomfortable sight of his blindness, Ty studies the paper that Dufgal has placed on the table. As he reads, the elf's mouth contorts with distaste-- not at Dolsten's admission of desire, but at the shame he feels, his obvious need to hide his passion for the other man. So human, these mental distortions; so small-minded."So Dolsten and Relfarious are lovers," Ty summarizes, for Dufgal's benefit. "That explains the interest of our patron in the fate of a rustic tanner." The beggar pauses, then scoffs, "Why not say so? Why does Dolsten not simply go to him, if that is the way his desire runs? No, rather the man tries to bury his feelings in ink and hidden parchment." Ty shakes a palm at the page, as if gesturing at a burnt supper.
"That sort of thing is considered shameful by some humans. When humans marry, they swear off fucking anyone else for the rest of their lives. It rarely takes, however. Hence the thriving whore industry."
"Oh, and men jingling each others' bells is frowned upon. Now followers of Pelagia, we care not what port a sailor docks at, of course. But other humans can be less open minded."
As the others approach the door, Aldric remains with his brine beer. There weren't many words to say to a man in this situation, and they were already said.
Alas, the paper provides no greater answers toward slaying the moon beast. Once the danger had passed, perhaps the crone was the best direction to head in.
Jun 23, 2024 4:52 am
Dolsten
He's speechless for a second or two until more bellowing from outside steals back the moment.
Morgan Haverson
Dolsten
The Hound
OOC:
Anora, so we're clear you're about to be facing this thing alone, as Morgan and Broegan are retreating back towards the Wolf-Spear and no on else is moving to come outside. Let's call the distance to The Hound forty feet, and it's sixty back to the inn.Roll for Initiative, everyone -- that's a d20 + your Initiative score.
ROUND 1
Init Order: [TBD]
Rolls
Round 1 Hound Initiative - (1d20+2)
(13) + 2 = 15
Jun 23, 2024 2:03 pm
OOC:
We're all rolling for Initiative? Even the cowards inside?Rolls
Initiative - (1d20+1)
(12) + 1 = 13
Jun 23, 2024 2:17 pm
Quote:
We're all rolling for Initiative? Even the cowards inside?OOC:
Yep, in case, you know, someone intercedes, it gets inside, etc. Come to think of it, for round 1 it might not matter much, but it's all one scene at this stage.Also, I didn't mean to steal an action from Anora if that's what it feels like. Basically, as we're rolling init, Morgan and Broegan are clearly about to make a break for the inn. The Hound is now looking your way, likely at Anora and Morgan, who are closest to it. In a single move, the ladies can get -to- the inn, and on a successful DC12 DEX roll, inside. It will take Broegan two full rounds to get there at top speed.
We'll see how fast the Hound is, but from it's position it could potentially move and attack Anora (if it's -very- fast), or just move towards her, closing in.
Rolling some other inits...
Rolls
Initiative for Morgan, Broegan, Dolsten - (1d20-2, 1d20-2, 1d20-2)
1d20-2 : (8) - 2 = 6
1d20-2 : (19) - 2 = 17
1d20-2 : (1) - 2 = -1
Jun 23, 2024 2:20 pm
ROUND 1
Init Order (still in process): Broegan, The Hound, Ty, Anora, Morgan, Dolsten
Init Order (still in process): Broegan, The Hound, Ty, Anora, Morgan, Dolsten
Jun 23, 2024 2:25 pm
OOC:
And no harm in getting us started while we wait for Aldric and Dufgal to roll init, as they won't be able to affect the first two actions taken...OOC:
Broegan and the Hound both move on Round 1.One houserule that might be pertinent here -- if someone fights defensively, that is, not to strike but only defend, their opponent will attack at -1d. And not even formally a houserule... but a common ruling of mine, in the right context.
Jun 23, 2024 5:32 pm
Dufgal sees and hears the attention surge outside and he suddenly recommits to the protection of the Lady Anora.
Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(10) + 1 = 11
Jun 23, 2024 7:48 pm
ROUND 1 (UPDATED)
Init Order: Broegan, The Hound, Ty, Aldric, Dufgal, Anora, Morgan, Dolsten
Init Order: Broegan, The Hound, Ty, Aldric, Dufgal, Anora, Morgan, Dolsten
Jun 23, 2024 7:57 pm
Over Dolsten's shoulder, Ty sees the innkeeper Broegan dash out of the shadows to the south. He sees the beast toss aside the grisly remains of its victim and round on Anora, who still stands in the market square with sword drawn.
Something about the tableau makes the elf shove past Morgan's father and into the night. As he runs, he shouts, "Anora! You've proven your valor!" Not what he'd call it, but 'asinine folly' isn't likely to incline the wizardess towards his plea. "Retreat while you can!"
Skidding to a halt closer to the fray, the blind beggar spreads his hands. Lets the magic rise and boil through him. And surrenders to what the magic demands, a paroxysm of the mouth, verbal vomit that seems to have a life of its own:
"FUCK THEE, BEAST OF HELL! FUCK THINE ARSE, AND RUSTY BE THE FUCKING! MAY SORCERY TORMENT THEE, PROFANE THEE! I SAY IT AND IT IS SO!"
In his own head, Ty wills his spell to surround the monster in color and light. To dazzle and blind it, to cover what he hopes will be Anora's escape.
Something about the tableau makes the elf shove past Morgan's father and into the night. As he runs, he shouts, "Anora! You've proven your valor!" Not what he'd call it, but 'asinine folly' isn't likely to incline the wizardess towards his plea. "Retreat while you can!"
Skidding to a halt closer to the fray, the blind beggar spreads his hands. Lets the magic rise and boil through him. And surrenders to what the magic demands, a paroxysm of the mouth, verbal vomit that seems to have a life of its own:
"FUCK THEE, BEAST OF HELL! FUCK THINE ARSE, AND RUSTY BE THE FUCKING! MAY SORCERY TORMENT THEE, PROFANE THEE! I SAY IT AND IT IS SO!"
In his own head, Ty wills his spell to surround the monster in color and light. To dazzle and blind it, to cover what he hopes will be Anora's escape.
Rolls
Cast Color Spray - (1d20+1)
(13) + 1 = 14
Rounds of Blindness! - (1d4)
(3) = 3
The Hound
Jun 23, 2024 8:16 pm
The Hound
The thing has been blinded!
OOC:
The Hound gets a Willpower save, and the DC is the result of the spell roll: 13!Edit: Blind for three rounds!
ROUND 1
Init Order: Broegan, The Hound, Ty, Aldric, Dufgal, Anora, Morgan, Dolsten
Rolls
Hound Willpower Save vs. DC 13 - (1d20)
(7) = 7
Jun 23, 2024 11:54 pm
As Ty pushes into the night with intent, Dufgal follows. Knowing he cannot cross the distance between he and the hound, nor wanting to if he were honest, the only thing he can think to do is throw the two strips of "questionable" elk meat that he collected on their first encounter with what he can now assume was the hound’s destruction. As a boy, were he ever threatened by a hungry street dog, he would try to distract it by tossing a piece of bread or dried meat in the opposite direction he wanted to walk.
So, he runs as far as he can to reach scent range. He tugs out the jerky from his pack and whips it over his head a few times before releasing it, hoping to divert it from chasing Anora.
So, he runs as far as he can to reach scent range. He tugs out the jerky from his pack and whips it over his head a few times before releasing it, hoping to divert it from chasing Anora.
OOC:
not sure if this warrants a ranged attack. Please adviseJun 24, 2024 3:45 am
Anora is about to do something foolish. She knows she can’t stop the beast, and yet…
Then, the elf’s magic catches the thing fully in the face. She could let her blade drink deeply of the beast’s black blood if she wanted. She hesitates a moment, wondering if they would get a chance like this again.
But then she drops the point of her blade, and heaves a tired sigh. This wouldn’t end the beast… Not in the way that Hirot needed. She might cut the things heart out here and now and it would be back again tomorrow, or so she suspected from the stories the villagers told.
She turns on her heel and runs for the door. The others would surely sigh and shake their heads at her foolishness. She would at theirs if the rolls were reversed. And yet… she contents herself with the idea that another soul had been denied to the beast. Each time the wizardess opened the doors of their makeshift bastion, another Hirotian life had been spared.
And so she runs…
Then, the elf’s magic catches the thing fully in the face. She could let her blade drink deeply of the beast’s black blood if she wanted. She hesitates a moment, wondering if they would get a chance like this again.
But then she drops the point of her blade, and heaves a tired sigh. This wouldn’t end the beast… Not in the way that Hirot needed. She might cut the things heart out here and now and it would be back again tomorrow, or so she suspected from the stories the villagers told.
She turns on her heel and runs for the door. The others would surely sigh and shake their heads at her foolishness. She would at theirs if the rolls were reversed. And yet… she contents herself with the idea that another soul had been denied to the beast. Each time the wizardess opened the doors of their makeshift bastion, another Hirotian life had been spared.
And so she runs…
Rolls
PARKOUR! - (1d20)
(3) = 3
Jun 24, 2024 6:38 am
Dufgal hurls the rancid meat towards the beast as Ty finishes casting his strange elf-magic, and then Anora makes her decision, beating a retreat back towards the inn along with Morgan.
ROUND 1
Init Order: Broegan, The Hound, Ty, Aldric, Dufgal, Anora, Morgan, Dolsten
Just Aldric to go and we'll close out the round.
ROUND 1
Init Order: Broegan, The Hound, Ty, Aldric, Dufgal, Anora, Morgan, Dolsten
OOC:
No need for a roll, Dufgal.Just Aldric to go and we'll close out the round.
Jun 24, 2024 6:39 am
OOC:
Almost forgot -- Anora can retreat back to the inn entrance easily enough; if she wants to actually make it inside, please give me a DEX check vs. DC 12.Jun 26, 2024 12:26 am
Aldric rises from his salt beer as the others engage in heroics.
Ah, so my speech did sway the heart of the elf! Look at him, valiantly calling upon the powers of fae and daemon! And Dufgal, never a coward, showing his character yet again. Perhaps Anora can survive to tell this tale after all.
He runs to the door and pulls his sling and bullet from its pouch. This weapon was the bane of many a bird and hare back on his farm. He didn't expect it to hurt a demon dog, but it certainly would show Pelagia he means to confront it. Anora wouldn't be the only one to try to wound the moon beast! Once the stone is loosed, he makes a tactical retreat to the strong walls of the inn.
Ah, so my speech did sway the heart of the elf! Look at him, valiantly calling upon the powers of fae and daemon! And Dufgal, never a coward, showing his character yet again. Perhaps Anora can survive to tell this tale after all.
He runs to the door and pulls his sling and bullet from its pouch. This weapon was the bane of many a bird and hare back on his farm. He didn't expect it to hurt a demon dog, but it certainly would show Pelagia he means to confront it. Anora wouldn't be the only one to try to wound the moon beast! Once the stone is loosed, he makes a tactical retreat to the strong walls of the inn.
OOC:
If I'm not actually in range, that's okay. I mostly want to show the townsfolk and Pelagia that I am willing to confront the creature.Rolls
Sling Attack! - (1d20)
(4) = 4
Jun 26, 2024 5:28 am
Suddenly, there's a small crowd outside the Wolf-Spear as both Morgan and Anora come boiling back towards the front door, feet flying. Ty stands outside, witnessing the results of the spectacular magical energies he called down, while Aldric hears his slingstone crack against a building on the other side of the market. He retreats back inside as Dufgal waits on Anora and watches -- hopeful that this now blinded demon-hound will be further distracted by the meat he's thrown...
Rolls
Morgan Dex Roll (DC12) - (1d20-2)
(2) - 2 = 0
The Hound's Senses (DC10) - (1d14+3)
(12) + 3 = 15
The Hound
Jun 26, 2024 5:41 am
The Hound
Inside, Dolsten's shoulders slump as he gets a good look at the thing through the open door. "This is my fault," Aldric hears the man say as he ducks back into the inn.
OOC:
Roll Init, everyone, please. There's a gaggle of you within 10' or so of the inn -- only Aldric is back inside. The Hound is close enough to move and attack anyone still outside when it's move comes around. And for the record, the blindness has it operating at -2d for many tasks.ROUND 2
Init Order: TBD
Hound: Blind for rounds 2-4.
Rolls
Hound Init for Round 2 - (1d14+3)
(10) + 3 = 13
Jun 26, 2024 5:52 am
OOC:
"You haven’t thought of the smell, you bitch!"Rolls
Init - (1d20)
(19) = 19
Jun 26, 2024 1:40 pm
Dufgal thinks to ready his spear and put himself in between Anora and the beast if he must.
OOC:
Travel day so I may as well add my action here to be resolved as my turn comes due. Dufgal will "set spear vs. charge" kinda move if he can time it right just as Anora passes IF the hound chases. Otherwise, escaping into the tavern and fortifying the front door is the right move. (Feel free to roll for him if needed)Last edited June 26, 2024 1:44 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(13) + 1 = 14
Jun 27, 2024 1:59 am
Aldric is feeling especially invigorated by the danger of the moment!
Last edited June 27, 2024 3:14 am
Rolls
init - (1d20)
(15) = 15
Jun 27, 2024 4:58 am
ROUND 2 BEGINS
Init Order: Anora, Aldric, Dolsten, Dufgal, The Hound, Morgan, Ty, Broegan
Hound: Blind for rounds 2-4.
Init Order: Anora, Aldric, Dolsten, Dufgal, The Hound, Morgan, Ty, Broegan
Hound: Blind for rounds 2-4.
Rolls
Round 2 Initiative for Morgan, Dolsten, Broegan - (1d20-2, 1d20-2, 1d20-2)
1d20-2 : (8) - 2 = 6
1d20-2 : (17) - 2 = 15
1d20-2 : (2) - 2 = 0
Jun 28, 2024 12:37 am
Anora continues on running, trusting in the good senses of the people of Hirot and the powerful magic of the elf to carry the day.
She makes for the door, clutching Ty by the arm as she passes him by.
"It’s no time to marvel at your own work!" she barbs low so as not to give the beast a vector, before trying to carry the elf along with her and inside the bastion.
She makes for the door, clutching Ty by the arm as she passes him by.
"It’s no time to marvel at your own work!" she barbs low so as not to give the beast a vector, before trying to carry the elf along with her and inside the bastion.
Rolls
Give me strength! - (1d20-1)
(14) - 1 = 13
Jun 29, 2024 4:20 am
To say Ty goes willingly is something of an understatement, and soon enough he and Anora are back inside the Wolf-Spear, back into the warmth and light of the spacious common room. Morgan and her father race for that same door, and only Dufgal remains outside beyond those two...
OOC:
Aldric is already back inside, but he's up, then Dufgal. (Go in whatever order unless you're doing something that requires careful timing.)Jun 29, 2024 4:27 am
Dufgal cares nothing for heroics, so the moment he sees that Anora and the elf were safe, he hustled hisself into the Wolf Spear. He makes a quick assessment of the available mobile furniture to barricade the door once the last of the innocents were safe.
Jun 29, 2024 7:06 pm
Once everyone is inside the door, Aldric bars it shut with his oar. He beseaches Pelagia for her strength as he places a seal upon the oar. As he prays, the miracle begins to unfold - barnacles begin to grow and encrust every surface, and seaweed wraps around it, binding the woods tightly.
OOC:
Casting bless on the oar, hopefully that would give it additional strength to resist forced entry.Last edited June 29, 2024 7:08 pm
Rolls
Blessing spell check - (1d20+1)
(18) + 1 = 19
Jun 29, 2024 9:16 pm
OOC:
Oh dear.Morgan Haverson
"Run, da! Run!" she shouts, desperately hoping he can make it.
Broegan Haverson
Gripping his axe tightly, determined, he runs!
Rolls
Broegan's Luck (10) - (1d20)
(20) = 20
Jun 29, 2024 9:30 pm
The Hound
Morgan Haverson
OOC:
Alright! If anyone wants to try and save this joker, you can try in the next Round. Normally a 0-level PC doesn't get this opportunity, but I'm playing a little fast an loose with things. Roll initiative, and hope you get a 5 or higher...Rolls
Hound Claws (vs. AC 10, -2d for blindness, +1d for Broegan passing so close) - (1d16+3)
(11) + 3 = 14
Hound Bite (vs. AC 10, -2d for blindness, +1d for Broegan passing so close) - (1d16+3)
(3) + 3 = 6
Claw Damage - (1d4)
(4) = 4
Round 3 Hound Initiative - (1d20+2)
(1) + 2 = 3
Round 3 Morgan, Dolsten Initiative - (1d20-2, 1d20-2)
1d20-2 : (13) - 2 = 11
1d20-2 : (17) - 2 = 15
Jun 30, 2024 2:37 am
OOC:
He does, surely!Last edited June 30, 2024 2:38 am
Rolls
Dex! - (1d20)
(15) = 15
Jun 30, 2024 2:43 am
OOC:
Initiative, which will surely not be needed...Rolls
Initiative - (1d20+1)
(10) + 1 = 11
Jun 30, 2024 3:34 am
In awe of Aldric’s power play, Dufgal feels the tides have turned. For Pelagia’s influence in this landlocked region, for the fight against the hound, and on his chances of earning a living on the road with this brave and lucky lot he fell in with. He remains ready, just in case.
Looking around the room, he quickly starts shoving a large table up against the door to reinforce the cleric’s magic. He is sure to shrug indicating the likely uselessness of the extra effort. He wants to let Aldric know that he is impressed.
Looking around the room, he quickly starts shoving a large table up against the door to reinforce the cleric’s magic. He is sure to shrug indicating the likely uselessness of the extra effort. He wants to let Aldric know that he is impressed.
Last edited June 30, 2024 3:36 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(15) + 1 = 16
Jul 1, 2024 1:52 am
ROUND 3
Init Order: Dufgal, Aldric, Dolsten, Anora, Ty, Morgan, The Hound
Hound: Blind for rounds 3-4.
Seeing Morgan swoop down next to her motionless father, who is sprawled out on the now bloody floor, Dolsten shouts as he moves to help Dufgal reinforce the door.
"Bind his wounds, girl!" he shouts desperately. "Bind them!"
Init Order: Dufgal, Aldric, Dolsten, Anora, Ty, Morgan, The Hound
Hound: Blind for rounds 3-4.
Dolsten
"Bind his wounds, girl!" he shouts desperately. "Bind them!"
OOC:
Aldric, Anora, Ty up. In case Aldric is going to try some Lay on Hands action, Broegan's alignment is Neutral.Jul 1, 2024 11:12 am
OOC:
Holding action to see what Aldric dreams up! If he goes for the heal, then Anora is free to take a breather!Jul 3, 2024 5:04 am
Aldric, jaw agape, is amazed that his spell actually worked. Pelagia must sense his good work. Things are taking a turn for the better!
So deep was he in performing his miracle that Broegan pained cries only reach his ears now. He sees him, collapsed in a growing pool of his own blood, his back raked by Shul's bitch. Eager to undo Shul's effect on this world, he sidles up to the wounded man and his buxom daughter, his travel-worn robes flowing around his squeaking armour.
His voice is strong and confident. "Pelagia's miracles are not yet done here! Woman, fetch clean rags and water!"
He leans down and lays his hands on the man's back, in the hot, spurting blood. He lets it seep and pool around his fingers until his hands are red, and then he lets Pelagia's gift flow through him.
So deep was he in performing his miracle that Broegan pained cries only reach his ears now. He sees him, collapsed in a growing pool of his own blood, his back raked by Shul's bitch. Eager to undo Shul's effect on this world, he sidles up to the wounded man and his buxom daughter, his travel-worn robes flowing around his squeaking armour.
His voice is strong and confident. "Pelagia's miracles are not yet done here! Woman, fetch clean rags and water!"
He leans down and lays his hands on the man's back, in the hot, spurting blood. He lets it seep and pool around his fingers until his hands are red, and then he lets Pelagia's gift flow through him.
OOC:
Aldric is using his Lay On Hands ability. Woo-hoo, it does not use luck! The amount of healing depends on the creature's hit die, so I'll stand by for rolling. Harrigan, feel free to roll for me if it is more convenient.Rolls
Lay on hands spell check! - (1d20+2)
(15) + 2 = 17
Jul 3, 2024 3:02 pm
Breaths are held as the seconds pass inside the fortified building -- as Morgan desperately runs for rags and water, as Aldric calls on his goddess for aid, and as the beast outside the door howls and tremors and claws at the wood. Then, as the tang of salt water fills the air and Broegan's wounds begin to seal, the sounds beyond the threshold stop, leaving an eeriness inside the Wolf-Spear as everyone sees the innkeeper on the floor suddenly take a deep, steady breath.
"Da!" Morgan cries, stroking his head as tears come to her eyes. Then the girl is hanging off Aldric, hugging him fiercely.
"Thank you!"
Dolsten approaches the door quietly, carefully, and listens at it.
"I think..." he begins carefully, "I think it's gone?"
Morgan Haverson
"Thank you!"
Dolsten
"I think..." he begins carefully, "I think it's gone?"
OOC:
Out of combat rounds, at least for now! Do as you will!Jul 4, 2024 6:15 am
"Just don’t stand too closely!" Anora warns, keeping only one eye on the man. In truth, and despite the healing power performed, she doubted much of the cleric’s magic ever since his sorry display in this very room a while earlier.
She’s tempted to have the others bind her in the ropes that had held Broegan earlier, to stop her from any more ventures out into the night!
She slumps, and lets her hair fall loose once more. She rolls the ball of her palm into her thigh, massaging the tired legs beneath her robe.
"Thats enough excitement for one night, I think." she says, with a weary sigh. It had been a close thing, but overall it was a good that they had done!
She’s tempted to have the others bind her in the ropes that had held Broegan earlier, to stop her from any more ventures out into the night!
She slumps, and lets her hair fall loose once more. She rolls the ball of her palm into her thigh, massaging the tired legs beneath her robe.
"Thats enough excitement for one night, I think." she says, with a weary sigh. It had been a close thing, but overall it was a good that they had done!
Last edited July 4, 2024 12:51 pm
Jul 4, 2024 2:58 pm
I’se glad to hear you say that, Miss Anora. You’se been givin’ us the fright. You’se an important person and we’se s’posed to keep you safe.
Jul 5, 2024 2:22 am
"Quite enough excitement," Ty concurs. He rubs the bottom of his face, then exhales through the cup of his fingers. Humans.
"We're all done outside, then?" Blindfolded as he is, the elf nonetheless fixes Morgan with a cloth-wrapped stare. "No further jaunts into shadow and fang?" Ty turns his head towards Anora and-- presumably-- eyes her as well.
"Good." With any luck, most of the people of Hirot missed his little light show in the square. Perhaps even Morgan and Broegan were too distracted to pay it much mind. "I'm going to bed."
So saying, Tyravasiel-Llir sets his cane to the boards and tap-totters his way in the direction of the bed he stole earlier.
"We're all done outside, then?" Blindfolded as he is, the elf nonetheless fixes Morgan with a cloth-wrapped stare. "No further jaunts into shadow and fang?" Ty turns his head towards Anora and-- presumably-- eyes her as well.
"Good." With any luck, most of the people of Hirot missed his little light show in the square. Perhaps even Morgan and Broegan were too distracted to pay it much mind. "I'm going to bed."
So saying, Tyravasiel-Llir sets his cane to the boards and tap-totters his way in the direction of the bed he stole earlier.
Jul 5, 2024 3:35 am
OOC:
Aldric, I forgot -- roll a d4 to see how many hit points Broegan gains!Everyone kind of hunkering in for the night, like Ty?
Jul 5, 2024 5:48 am
Seeing the elf’s departure as permission to do the same, Dufgal sets off to find a different bed to crash on, hopefully one that is not already claimed.
Jul 5, 2024 6:25 am
Aldric feels the embrace of the young barmaid faintly through the fog of extasy that results from touching the divine. As terrifying as she is, the spark of divine energy coursing through his veins is a potent drug.
"It is all Pelagia's doing - I am but a vessel, my child. Make sure to send prayers to Pelagia - both you and your father - as well as a sacrifice. The beast is of the cursed moon, and Pelagia hates the moon god, Shul. Pelagia is a powerful friend to have, given the times."
Aldric notices everyone is leaving, but the spark still flows through Aldric's veins. He returns to the baths and prays at the lip of his filthy washbasin until he nods off.
"It is all Pelagia's doing - I am but a vessel, my child. Make sure to send prayers to Pelagia - both you and your father - as well as a sacrifice. The beast is of the cursed moon, and Pelagia hates the moon god, Shul. Pelagia is a powerful friend to have, given the times."
Aldric notices everyone is leaving, but the spark still flows through Aldric's veins. He returns to the baths and prays at the lip of his filthy washbasin until he nods off.
Last edited July 5, 2024 1:09 pm
Rolls
healing - (1d4)
(4) = 4
Jul 6, 2024 10:08 am
Not as certain as the others that the events of the night are truly passed, Anora tarries a while in the room with the villagers.
Should enough time pass that she can feel sure that the beast is beaten for tonight, she will retire to the room she found earlier, and fall into an fast sleep!
Should enough time pass that she can feel sure that the beast is beaten for tonight, she will retire to the room she found earlier, and fall into an fast sleep!
Jul 7, 2024 3:05 am
ACT 2
HIROT - THE NEXT MORNING AT THE WOLF-SPEAR (ALL)
Hours pass before the village of Hirot breathes a collective sigh of relief, before its citizens unclench and dare to peek outside and make sure the Hound is gone. Sleep comes easy for some, and not at all for others, for those who have lost loved ones or had their own brushes with the horror that haunts the town.
Dawn comes all too soon, with the Jarl's Thegns riding through the streets, pounding on doors, shouting demands for an immediate assembly in the square. In their rooms, the four strangers are roused. Aldric is woken by Morgan, who joyfully reports that her father is conscious and whole. The girl spent time with the priest in the wee hours of the morning, learning certain stormy praises and prayers she would later say over Broegan in his bed.
Ty's meditations include images not of the Hound, but of something winged in the night, large enough to carry an elf as a rider. Moonlight glints off the mithril tip of a drawn arrow as a bow string is drawn tight.
Dufgal sleeps like the dead and wakes quickly when the call from outside comes; Anora rises slowly at that same moment, still tired from the prior day's many ventures. When all was quiet, she and Dolsten talked and talked... he revealing his shame over loving a man despite being married, and despite his now-dead sons. There seemed more to it, perhaps some direct connection to the Hound itself, but the hour grew too late and eyes too bleary for the woman to get to the bottom of things...
HIROT - THE NEXT MORNING AT THE WOLF-SPEAR (ALL)
Hours pass before the village of Hirot breathes a collective sigh of relief, before its citizens unclench and dare to peek outside and make sure the Hound is gone. Sleep comes easy for some, and not at all for others, for those who have lost loved ones or had their own brushes with the horror that haunts the town.
Dawn comes all too soon, with the Jarl's Thegns riding through the streets, pounding on doors, shouting demands for an immediate assembly in the square. In their rooms, the four strangers are roused. Aldric is woken by Morgan, who joyfully reports that her father is conscious and whole. The girl spent time with the priest in the wee hours of the morning, learning certain stormy praises and prayers she would later say over Broegan in his bed.
Ty's meditations include images not of the Hound, but of something winged in the night, large enough to carry an elf as a rider. Moonlight glints off the mithril tip of a drawn arrow as a bow string is drawn tight.
Dufgal sleeps like the dead and wakes quickly when the call from outside comes; Anora rises slowly at that same moment, still tired from the prior day's many ventures. When all was quiet, she and Dolsten talked and talked... he revealing his shame over loving a man despite being married, and despite his now-dead sons. There seemed more to it, perhaps some direct connection to the Hound itself, but the hour grew too late and eyes too bleary for the woman to get to the bottom of things...
OOC:
And... action!Jul 8, 2024 10:21 am
There could be no avoiding it. Not with the four of them standing out as they do! The people had turned against Anora when she sought to free the innkeeper and send him into the night after his daughter. Would they do the same today, with her standing beside the barmaid that was betrothed to death for a time?
Surely not. At least not those that she had saved with her antics. Perhaps it wouldn’t matter, if the Jarl and his men had a mind for it this morning.
Still, she supposed the crone would be there, and so a possible meeting.
"If we keep quiet and stand strong, we won’t be picked apart by the Jarl and his craven lot." she warns the others. "Endure this meeting…"
… and then meet with the crone. she thinks but doesn’t say! She assumes the others mean to break their fast and leave Hirot before night creeps in.
Surely not. At least not those that she had saved with her antics. Perhaps it wouldn’t matter, if the Jarl and his men had a mind for it this morning.
Still, she supposed the crone would be there, and so a possible meeting.
"If we keep quiet and stand strong, we won’t be picked apart by the Jarl and his craven lot." she warns the others. "Endure this meeting…"
… and then meet with the crone. she thinks but doesn’t say! She assumes the others mean to break their fast and leave Hirot before night creeps in.
Jul 9, 2024 4:16 am
Aldric found it genuinely delightful to have an enthusiastic follower like Morgan in his flock. A taste of what was to come, once he had founded his mountainside temple.
Pelagia's eye was upon them, and he knew this was his moment. Before him was a test that he must succeed.
Gathered here now, in the square, he conferred with his congregation. They had proven themselves the bane of the moon beast, and worthy champions for Pelagia.
"Anora the Blue, you speak truth. Their fury will be great, for our brave actions have shown them as cowards and fools. We have set our course, and by the salty tits of Pelagia, we will keep it!"
Pelagia's eye was upon them, and he knew this was his moment. Before him was a test that he must succeed.
Gathered here now, in the square, he conferred with his congregation. They had proven themselves the bane of the moon beast, and worthy champions for Pelagia.
"Anora the Blue, you speak truth. Their fury will be great, for our brave actions have shown them as cowards and fools. We have set our course, and by the salty tits of Pelagia, we will keep it!"
Last edited July 9, 2024 4:17 am
Jul 9, 2024 6:53 am
More than twenty villagers sheltered in the Wolf-Spear overnight, and they assemble now in force after Haedrick the Thegn demanded admittance and then smashed his sword on his shield until people began to arrive.
"Ho! Listen! When the church bell chimes, assemble round the lottery box," he barks before he leaves, heading to some other building to pound and shout.
Morgan, who permitted Haedrick entry, leaves the door open behind the man to let fresh air into the place, damp as it is. Other sounds of similar rousings reach all their ears, and when the barmaid comes closer to Anora and Aldric she is dressed in a fresh skirt and a clean blouse that better conceals the impressive and mud-spattered cleavage that was on display the night before. Her hair is up, and as she catches the tail end of the priest's colorful language, she wrinkles her nose in amusement before addressing her father's saviors.
"I said it last night, but thank you for everything you done, all of you. The Jarl and his men are afraid to set foot outside that big hall, leavin' the rest of us to pay the price. He's going to be right pissed that I wasn't torn limb from limb last night, I know that much." As she speaks, the girl rings her hands in front of her, clearly anxious about what will happen outside in a few moments.
And indeed, the girl scarcely says her piece when the Justicia's heavy bell begins to toll...
Haedrick
Morgan, who permitted Haedrick entry, leaves the door open behind the man to let fresh air into the place, damp as it is. Other sounds of similar rousings reach all their ears, and when the barmaid comes closer to Anora and Aldric she is dressed in a fresh skirt and a clean blouse that better conceals the impressive and mud-spattered cleavage that was on display the night before. Her hair is up, and as she catches the tail end of the priest's colorful language, she wrinkles her nose in amusement before addressing her father's saviors.
Morgan Haverson
And indeed, the girl scarcely says her piece when the Justicia's heavy bell begins to toll...
Jul 9, 2024 8:15 am
"Perhaps it best if we act as if you were torn limb from limb." Anora says with a cocked eyebrow.
How many knew that the woman had survived?…
She couldn’t say. Given her venture outside of the tavern last night, it would be impossible to guess.
But then…
"Your number has already been called. Perhaps you have done your part for Hirot. Unless they mean to enter you into the drawings again!"
How many knew that the woman had survived?…
She couldn’t say. Given her venture outside of the tavern last night, it would be impossible to guess.
But then…
"Your number has already been called. Perhaps you have done your part for Hirot. Unless they mean to enter you into the drawings again!"
Morgan Haverson
Jul 9, 2024 3:21 pm
Morgan Haverson
Rolls
Luck - Did Haedrick See Morgan? - (1d20)
(19) = 19
Jul 9, 2024 6:47 pm
Dufgal hears the pounding of steel on steel accompanied by gruff and demanding shouting. He rouses from a deep sleep just slightly before deciding that the sound must be him dreaming of his father on a bender and looking for a punching target. He pulls the pillow over his head and imagines himself following a happy thread to a new dream.
It works. He drifts off and finds himself in a land of giant women, whose breasts are the mountains and their valleys are… well, their valleys. He fancies himself a bit of a spelunker. Now this is a pleasant dream he thinks just before losing lucidity.
It works. He drifts off and finds himself in a land of giant women, whose breasts are the mountains and their valleys are… well, their valleys. He fancies himself a bit of a spelunker. Now this is a pleasant dream he thinks just before losing lucidity.
Jul 10, 2024 12:38 am
Pleasantly unaware of Dufgal’s disembodied adventures, Anora lets loose a quick sigh, surely the first of many for the day.
"Best to plead ignorance rather than for forgiveness, Morgan." the woman counsels.
"The beast’s terms have changed, haven’t they? We don’t know why the beast didn’t accept the offering yesterday, and instead came to wreak havoc on Hirot." she says, hoping the woman understood the misdirect Anora planned.
And she would watch the face of this village magician as the story unfolded…
"Best to plead ignorance rather than for forgiveness, Morgan." the woman counsels.
"The beast’s terms have changed, haven’t they? We don’t know why the beast didn’t accept the offering yesterday, and instead came to wreak havoc on Hirot." she says, hoping the woman understood the misdirect Anora planned.
And she would watch the face of this village magician as the story unfolded…
Jul 10, 2024 1:16 am
Like Dufgal, Ty rouses from sleep at the sound of Haedrick's shield bashing outside the Wolf-Spear's door. Unlike his companion, however, the elf does not seek refuge in dreams of enormous human women and their... assets.
Through the window, he hears something about an assembly and a lottery box, and inwardly groans. The Jarl of Hirot must be taking stock of last night's chaos. At least Ty and his fellows hadn't freed the barmaid from her sacrificial bondage; no, that was the work of her kin. At worst they could be accused of releasing her father-- which was not a crime so much as a poor exercise of judgment-- and of aiding villagers in immediate peril.
They might survive this yet, if none of them say anything foolish. Which is, admittedly, a hefty 'if.'
Tyravasiel swings out of bed. After a few arm stretches and deep knee-bends, he throws on his ratty cloak, his broad-brimmed hat, and affixes his blindfold. Taking up his cane, he assumes his bent and elderly beggar's posture, then shuffles and taps his way out into the common room.
"What's that clashing and yelling now?" he cries of the noise, too loudly and to no one in particular. "What's going on?"
Through the window, he hears something about an assembly and a lottery box, and inwardly groans. The Jarl of Hirot must be taking stock of last night's chaos. At least Ty and his fellows hadn't freed the barmaid from her sacrificial bondage; no, that was the work of her kin. At worst they could be accused of releasing her father-- which was not a crime so much as a poor exercise of judgment-- and of aiding villagers in immediate peril.
They might survive this yet, if none of them say anything foolish. Which is, admittedly, a hefty 'if.'
Tyravasiel swings out of bed. After a few arm stretches and deep knee-bends, he throws on his ratty cloak, his broad-brimmed hat, and affixes his blindfold. Taking up his cane, he assumes his bent and elderly beggar's posture, then shuffles and taps his way out into the common room.
"What's that clashing and yelling now?" he cries of the noise, too loudly and to no one in particular. "What's going on?"
Jul 10, 2024 10:17 am
"The beast returns to claim the elf!" Anora says hurriedly and with wide eyes, before returning to a calm state. A uncharacteristic, little joke to break the tension the group must surely be feeling at their predicament.
"We are to present ourselves to the lottery at once." she informs him, far more serious than before!
Pray that they can’t spell your name, Tyravasiel, so as to keep it from entering the lottery…
"We are to present ourselves to the lottery at once." she informs him, far more serious than before!
Pray that they can’t spell your name, Tyravasiel, so as to keep it from entering the lottery…
Jul 10, 2024 12:39 pm
Early as it is, Ty retains the presence of mind not to choke or gawk when Anora references his species.
"Elf?!" he caws. "If there are elves among us, mistress, then let the beast have them! Demonic creatures, they. With their horned ears and their black hearts."
What else did the mayfly humans say about his kind? Oh yes.
"I have heard some say that they eat human children. And that human women cannot resist their terrible beauty and wander off into the wood, never to return."
Ty fishes for Anora's forearm and clutches it rather tightly.
"But surely there are no elves here my lady." Right?
"Elf?!" he caws. "If there are elves among us, mistress, then let the beast have them! Demonic creatures, they. With their horned ears and their black hearts."
What else did the mayfly humans say about his kind? Oh yes.
"I have heard some say that they eat human children. And that human women cannot resist their terrible beauty and wander off into the wood, never to return."
Ty fishes for Anora's forearm and clutches it rather tightly.
"But surely there are no elves here my lady." Right?
Jul 10, 2024 2:21 pm
Dufgal tosses and turns as the sounds of tense banter disturb his rather pleasant dreams. He tries to imagine that his father is now arguing with a neighbor who has tried to shush him. He thinks to return to his fantasy.
He is unable to shake the interruption and is now awake, recognizing the voices as, in fact, his crewmates. His crew. Yes, he has left the chaos of his home. And yes, he has been accepted as a useful member of a crew. The sound of it was thrilling. He experienced a boost of vitality and leapt from the bed, rested and restored. Oh, and aroused! He would need a minute before leaving his room.
He is unable to shake the interruption and is now awake, recognizing the voices as, in fact, his crewmates. His crew. Yes, he has left the chaos of his home. And yes, he has been accepted as a useful member of a crew. The sound of it was thrilling. He experienced a boost of vitality and leapt from the bed, rested and restored. Oh, and aroused! He would need a minute before leaving his room.
Last edited July 10, 2024 2:23 pm
Jul 10, 2024 10:09 pm
In his dream, Dufgal explores. Like he never has before, in green lands mantled by clear blue skies, and where there are not fanged monsters and brutish trolls lying in wait, but flitting butterflies and singing, winging birds. And when he finds what he has been so achingly searching for, he plunges in without a moment’s hesitation. It is very dark and fragrant inside, causing the man to breathe deep and then navigate by touch.
He does not see the shifting of a gigantic foot, pulled from beneath its blanket of green grass and dark loam, does not see the villagers and their timber-framed houses sent tumbling by that simple, enormous shift. The rumbling landslides and rockfalls he does not notice either, powered by the subtle arching of an enormous back. He does not hear the groan that escapes those huge red lips, an exhalation of pleasure that reverberates for leagues across the countryside. A massive hand comes to a swelling breast that has before today been a mountain, and huge but delicate fingers gently brush trees, stones, moss and earth from the rosy top of that impressive peak.
Dufgal does notice when the giantess stirs and moves her hips slightly, affected as she is by his explorations. The strangely yielding floor of the cave has become moist, and then the whole place trembles and quivers, nearly knocking the man from his feet until he—
"Trouble us not with tales of elves!" a voice says from far away, from far below. "Tis the Hound we are cursed with, not the fae folk!"
"Aye!" another distant voice chimes in. Perhaps Morgan’s? "And we will need worry about the Jarl and his men now, as well!"
The giantess moans again as she pulls her other hand from the earth’s mantle, draining a swamp and changing the course of a river as she digs her fingers back into the earth, sliding them down towards—
"Where is your fellow, Dufgal? He will be missed if he is not present!" a voice, much louder and closer, says. Dufgal’s eyes are suddenly open, and he is no longer spelunking. He lies abed in the damned village of Hirot, in quite a randy state.
Downstairs, the occupants of the Wolf-Spear have thrown open the main door and begin their march to the market square, to the platform and the big wooden box the lots are drawn from…
He does not see the shifting of a gigantic foot, pulled from beneath its blanket of green grass and dark loam, does not see the villagers and their timber-framed houses sent tumbling by that simple, enormous shift. The rumbling landslides and rockfalls he does not notice either, powered by the subtle arching of an enormous back. He does not hear the groan that escapes those huge red lips, an exhalation of pleasure that reverberates for leagues across the countryside. A massive hand comes to a swelling breast that has before today been a mountain, and huge but delicate fingers gently brush trees, stones, moss and earth from the rosy top of that impressive peak.
Dufgal does notice when the giantess stirs and moves her hips slightly, affected as she is by his explorations. The strangely yielding floor of the cave has become moist, and then the whole place trembles and quivers, nearly knocking the man from his feet until he—
"Trouble us not with tales of elves!" a voice says from far away, from far below. "Tis the Hound we are cursed with, not the fae folk!"
"Aye!" another distant voice chimes in. Perhaps Morgan’s? "And we will need worry about the Jarl and his men now, as well!"
The giantess moans again as she pulls her other hand from the earth’s mantle, draining a swamp and changing the course of a river as she digs her fingers back into the earth, sliding them down towards—
"Where is your fellow, Dufgal? He will be missed if he is not present!" a voice, much louder and closer, says. Dufgal’s eyes are suddenly open, and he is no longer spelunking. He lies abed in the damned village of Hirot, in quite a randy state.
Downstairs, the occupants of the Wolf-Spear have thrown open the main door and begin their march to the market square, to the platform and the big wooden box the lots are drawn from…
Jul 11, 2024 1:22 am
Dufgal feels the sweat on his brow meet the cool air of the room and he shivers. His whole body feels damp actually, so he turns the inside of his cloak into a bath towel for a moment and then begins his slow walk down to the common room. He tries to act normal, but hiding his feelings has never been his strong suit. He is relieved to see that, by the time his feet finish the stairs, most of the Wolf Spear inhabitants have already left for the market square. He doesn’t walk swiftly, but he aims to catch up before anything significant happens.
Jul 12, 2024 10:18 am
"A morning’s jest. Perhaps you’re not familiar with the mannerisms of the city folk. Apologies for causing you distress." Anora says with a roll of the eyes for Ty’s benefit.
The people had said it themselves. They themselves would surely welcome a host of fae folk through the village gates, if they only promised to deal with the dog.
Anora guides the poor beggar out of the inn and into the square, to see what awaits them.
The people had said it themselves. They themselves would surely welcome a host of fae folk through the village gates, if they only promised to deal with the dog.
Anora guides the poor beggar out of the inn and into the square, to see what awaits them.
Last edited July 12, 2024 10:18 am
Jul 12, 2024 5:15 pm
THE LOTTERY (ALL)
As the last of the bell-tolling resounds through Hirot and into the misty, surrounding woods, Anora and her cadre exit the Wolf-Spear and follow the townsfolk the short distance to the village square, the open space used as a market and a place of assembly. The sky is gray overhead as the smallfolk gather and mutter, clearly a bit fearful as the Jarl and Sylle Ru proceed from the great hall down the winding road to the square.
The seven Thegns are armored and astride their horses, whose stamping hooves pound the traces of blood from last night's killings into the morning muck. It drizzled in the hours before dawn, and as a result the whole town seems mud-caked and miserable. At the center of the proceedings, as Jarl Griegor approaches, are the blanket-covered remains of those who were killed by the Hound. What remains could be found, at any rate. Many eyes turn to the four strangers as they approach, and to red-faced Morgan, who's name they all saw drawn from the heavy lockbox that dominates the main platform the day before.
The whole population must be here -- there are dozens of people milling, standing, and waiting... including some the travelers have not yet met. One of them, a man dressed in the fine white robes of a Justician priest, berates the crowd, naming their sins as the reasons the Hound has descended on the town. His voice barks across the plaza as his acolytes close up the small but impressive church behind him, also hurrying to the gathering.
As the last of the bell-tolling resounds through Hirot and into the misty, surrounding woods, Anora and her cadre exit the Wolf-Spear and follow the townsfolk the short distance to the village square, the open space used as a market and a place of assembly. The sky is gray overhead as the smallfolk gather and mutter, clearly a bit fearful as the Jarl and Sylle Ru proceed from the great hall down the winding road to the square.
The seven Thegns are armored and astride their horses, whose stamping hooves pound the traces of blood from last night's killings into the morning muck. It drizzled in the hours before dawn, and as a result the whole town seems mud-caked and miserable. At the center of the proceedings, as Jarl Griegor approaches, are the blanket-covered remains of those who were killed by the Hound. What remains could be found, at any rate. Many eyes turn to the four strangers as they approach, and to red-faced Morgan, who's name they all saw drawn from the heavy lockbox that dominates the main platform the day before.
The whole population must be here -- there are dozens of people milling, standing, and waiting... including some the travelers have not yet met. One of them, a man dressed in the fine white robes of a Justician priest, berates the crowd, naming their sins as the reasons the Hound has descended on the town. His voice barks across the plaza as his acolytes close up the small but impressive church behind him, also hurrying to the gathering.
OOC:
Pausing here -- before the Jarl and Ru arrive, in case you want to poke around, chat, etc.Jul 12, 2024 11:07 pm
So that's how they're going to play it?
"Indeed, madam, I am but a provincial boob," Ty answers Anora through his teeth. "And ignorant of your cosmopolitan ways. I rely upon your patience and condescension as much as I do your eyes." With that, the elf allows himself to be led into the village square.
Scanning those assembled through his blindfold, Tyravasiel-Llir mutters, "I believe those ruffians' asses are sewn onto their saddles. Mere intimidation, that."
He goes up on his toes a little, then cocks his head as if to listen. In fact he's trying to get an idea of how many bodies might be under those blankets. The buxom one was saved, but at what cost?
"Indeed, madam, I am but a provincial boob," Ty answers Anora through his teeth. "And ignorant of your cosmopolitan ways. I rely upon your patience and condescension as much as I do your eyes." With that, the elf allows himself to be led into the village square.
Scanning those assembled through his blindfold, Tyravasiel-Llir mutters, "I believe those ruffians' asses are sewn onto their saddles. Mere intimidation, that."
He goes up on his toes a little, then cocks his head as if to listen. In fact he's trying to get an idea of how many bodies might be under those blankets. The buxom one was saved, but at what cost?
Jul 13, 2024 4:46 am
Dufgal catches up but doesn’t make his allegiance obvious. In fact, he does his best to blend in with the locals. He aims to eavesdrop and overhear as much as he can. He hears the preacher of Justicia prattle on with his righteous accusations, but it bothers Dufgal very little. After all, he figures the Hirotians’ sinful ways is as good as any reason he can think to explain the mess their in.
Jul 14, 2024 3:58 pm
Aldric strides out into the morning air, head held high and regal. He brings with him the ceremonial wolf spear that hangs above the mantle, Pelagia's marked oar in the other. Though the spear is merely symbolic, he understands the power of symbols, and he proudly displays the thrice-blessed wave of Pelagia on the oar in close proximity to it. He thumps them against the ground as he walks, and continues to do so as he stands in observance.
He stares at the so-called Justican priest the entire time, judging silently and from a stance that conveys utter superiority. The thumping does not drown his words, but it is loud enough that the crowd can feel it over top of his words, reminding them of the rumours that have no doubt been spreading through the town of last night's victory over the moon beast.
He stares at the so-called Justican priest the entire time, judging silently and from a stance that conveys utter superiority. The thumping does not drown his words, but it is loud enough that the crowd can feel it over top of his words, reminding them of the rumours that have no doubt been spreading through the town of last night's victory over the moon beast.
Jul 15, 2024 3:42 am
Anora allows herself to be used, and seen, as a crutch for the beggar magician, who had blinded the beast the night before and secured their escape.
It’s all she can do to keep her mouth shut as the priest goes on with his remonstrations. Was it not Anora herself that had warned the others to keep quiet and make themselves small? She wouldn’t be tempted at the first hurdle…
It’s all she can do to keep her mouth shut as the priest goes on with his remonstrations. Was it not Anora herself that had warned the others to keep quiet and make themselves small? She wouldn’t be tempted at the first hurdle…
Jul 15, 2024 5:53 am
Aldric's arrival draws attention as he walks and thumps the spear and oar. He garners looks from the townsfolk, from several of the helmed Thegns, and especially from the balding, white-robed Justician priest. The proselytizing, aging cleric directs his stern, hawk-like glare at the other holy man as he makes his way through the crowd, making a bee-line towards the interloper.
"Justicia's scales have been tipped! Her mercy is at an end for Hirot and the cesspool of sinners that congregate here! The Hound is the sign and the will of unhappy gods! If you covet your neighbor's goods, his wife, his daughters -- those sins are seen, and weigh against you! Forsake your material wants, your lewd longings!"
The Jarl and his advisor finish descending from the great hall and begin making their way to the platform at the center of the market square just as the priest marches up to confront Aldric, pushing through the crowd. "And what nonsense is this? I am Father Beacom, Justicar, and I know a worshipper of a false god when I see one! Heretic!"
By now, Dufgal has slipped into the crowd and well blended in. Anora and Ty still stand out like sore thumbs, but almost all eyes turn to Aldric and Beacom. Red-faced and angry, Morgan prepares to unleash a response towards the priest if the Waveborn doesn't have one...
Need a few rolls:
Everyone, make an INT test please, trying to hit DC 10 for a bit of intel, and DC 15 for a bit more. That's 1d20 + INT modifier.
Ty, if you didn't before, test your Luck please to see about how noticeable your spell was last night. That's a d20 roll-under.
Father Beacom
The Jarl and his advisor finish descending from the great hall and begin making their way to the platform at the center of the market square just as the priest marches up to confront Aldric, pushing through the crowd. "And what nonsense is this? I am Father Beacom, Justicar, and I know a worshipper of a false god when I see one! Heretic!"
By now, Dufgal has slipped into the crowd and well blended in. Anora and Ty still stand out like sore thumbs, but almost all eyes turn to Aldric and Beacom. Red-faced and angry, Morgan prepares to unleash a response towards the priest if the Waveborn doesn't have one...
OOC:
Ty, looks like 3-4 bodies from where you stand.Need a few rolls:
Everyone, make an INT test please, trying to hit DC 10 for a bit of intel, and DC 15 for a bit more. That's 1d20 + INT modifier.
Ty, if you didn't before, test your Luck please to see about how noticeable your spell was last night. That's a d20 roll-under.
Jul 15, 2024 7:20 am
Trying to position himself where the most useful gossip might be, Dufgal starts feeling overwhelmed. He takes a moment to close his eyes to reduce the stimuli incoming. His ears sharpen and he starts moving towards the more excited sounding voices.
OOC:
I’ll boost that roll with my Luck die making the DC15. Last edited July 15, 2024 7:23 am
Rolls
Dropping them eaves - (1d20)
(13) = 13
Luck boost - (1d3)
(2) = 2
Jul 15, 2024 11:43 am
"The only thing the people here covet is for their neighbor’s name to come out of the hat, and not their own." Anora mutters darkly to the elf on her arm.
Last edited July 15, 2024 11:48 am
Rolls
Int - (1d20)
(15) = 15
Jul 15, 2024 1:08 pm
"If Wee Tocs is right in his suspicions, then Father Beacom's name was never in the hat to start with," Ty murmurs back to Anora.
Come to that, where is the human boy? Without leaving his place, or the scant cover that Anora's arm and hairdo might provide, the elf peers about the crowd in search of his young informant. It's probably a forlorn hope to spy the human child in such a throng-- unless, of course, Wee Tocs has positioned himself to keep an eye on them as well. Perhaps some hope is there, after all.
Come to that, where is the human boy? Without leaving his place, or the scant cover that Anora's arm and hairdo might provide, the elf peers about the crowd in search of his young informant. It's probably a forlorn hope to spy the human child in such a throng-- unless, of course, Wee Tocs has positioned himself to keep an eye on them as well. Perhaps some hope is there, after all.
Last edited July 15, 2024 1:09 pm
Rolls
INT Test (0) - (1d20)
(5) = 5
Luck Check re: Witnesses (7) - (1d20)
(12) = 12
Jul 16, 2024 7:13 am
Morgan Haverson
Some distance away, in the middle of a throng of people, Dufgal hears that the people of Hirot are terrified, and they are angry. There's no one common refrain: people are upset about the prior night's killings, they are angry that the chosen sacrifice still lives while others are dead, they are fearful their own name is about to be drawn, and they are worried that the Hound will now be back to its old ways -- assaulting the village nightly.
Eagle-eyed, Dufgal also spots two people of interest in the crowd. (Anora the Blue spots them as well, but being alongside Ty, she is occupied with Morgan's question at the moment.) Near the southwestern edge if the market square, a bent and stooped woman with wild white hair watches the proceedings from a distance, and from the comfort of what looks like a large, upholstered chair. The second individual the thief and Anora spy is less noticeable: a figure hides in the hedges that line the north side of the Wolf-Spear. It appears someone intends to observe the lottery without anyone noticing their presence...
OOC:
See the maps in the Judge Handouts to get a bead on where I'm talking about and generally orient yourselves with the market in front of the church (A4) and Wolf-Spear (A3).Jul 16, 2024 7:43 pm
Aldric stands his ground as the Justicar confronts him. He brings the beat of the town's symbolic wolf spear along with his own marked oar to a rest as he summons his breath.
He has given me a stage? The fool!
"Pelagia's domain in the weed-choked seas is far from here, and yet She empowered the four of us to more than what you have accomplished for a year! You have preyed upon these people with your false promises, but they see through your lies. Your lottery has solved nothing! It only serves to make the sheep go quietly to their slaughter. But the people of Hirot are not sheep, 'Justicar.' They but need to remember the face of their fathers."
He holds the wolf spear high in the air, crossing it against the marked oar, for the townspeople to witness. Aldric is not used to acting with such a stiff spine, but the courage flows from the deep wellsprings of fear that Pelagia has taken an interest in this matter, and he had better deliver.
He has given me a stage? The fool!
"Pelagia's domain in the weed-choked seas is far from here, and yet She empowered the four of us to more than what you have accomplished for a year! You have preyed upon these people with your false promises, but they see through your lies. Your lottery has solved nothing! It only serves to make the sheep go quietly to their slaughter. But the people of Hirot are not sheep, 'Justicar.' They but need to remember the face of their fathers."
He holds the wolf spear high in the air, crossing it against the marked oar, for the townspeople to witness. Aldric is not used to acting with such a stiff spine, but the courage flows from the deep wellsprings of fear that Pelagia has taken an interest in this matter, and he had better deliver.
Rolls
int test - (1d20)
(12) = 12
Jul 16, 2024 10:40 pm
Having learned quite young that playing dumb can be very smart, Dufgal deftly approaches the figure crouched in the hedge and whispers, "perfect hiding spot" and offers a wink for emphasis. He then proceeds to settle in and watch the fireworks show.
He figures that the others will have more interest in the old crone as he expects that is who he spotted. Dufgal believes in being in the right place at the right time to happen upon answers rather than using interrogation techniques that force out answers.
He figures that the others will have more interest in the old crone as he expects that is who he spotted. Dufgal believes in being in the right place at the right time to happen upon answers rather than using interrogation techniques that force out answers.
Jul 17, 2024 4:19 am
Father Beacom
"That brine-licking whore has no power here! Fool! Why have you come here? Do you seek to rob me of my congregation? Is it you behind these horrors that have befallen our village? Do you tempt my flock?!"
Jarl Griegor
"Silence, you twat of a priest!" Jarl Griegor thunders, stepping up and onto the raised wooden platform at the center of the market, huffing and grimacing at the effort. "Hold your tongue or I'll have it cut from your head! Your frigid bitch of a goddess pays no mind to this place, or to you! We've no time for your drivel -- the Hound has murdered again, and tonight we will feed the thing to keep it sated!"
Sylle Ru
"Trollop!" he hisses after the Jarl nods at him, permitting him to go on. "You were meant to be that sacrifice last night. Your firm flesh was meant to fill the beast's belly. Instead--"
Jarl Griegor
Sylle Ru
Morgan Haverson
?
Jul 17, 2024 4:22 am
?
Jul 17, 2024 6:32 am
No expert in subterfuge, Dufgal just answers the question fairly straight, hoping for straight truth in kind. "I’se no one of means, but my Lady is quite important and we’se ‘ers by contract."
Jul 18, 2024 4:20 am
?
Jul 18, 2024 5:23 am
Dufgal paused for a moment to relish how cool it sounded. He even considered lying just to prolong the fantasy. But he was a simpleton who didn’t want to keep track of lies. He found the truth actually was easier. "more like protection service than anythin’ as heroic as slayers. What’s about you then?"
Jul 18, 2024 9:50 am
Emboldened by Morgan’s resistance, Anora takes the bait. She had watched as the man had dragged himself up to his spot, the efforts of simply walking taking its toll.
"What better meal than a brave man; graced with such long life that he is weary from a simple morning’s walk? So that the young might go free and live beyond the horrors of the hound."
"What better meal than a brave man; graced with such long life that he is weary from a simple morning’s walk? So that the young might go free and live beyond the horrors of the hound."
Jul 18, 2024 2:56 pm
Jarl Griegor
"And who are you to enjoy the comforts and protections of my walls, and then dribble such bile from your lips, woman?" he booms. Pointing at Morgan, he bears his teeth and adds, "And this one, this little whore? She should be dead!"
Morgan Haverson
"I am no whore," she says quietly but fiercely, loud enough only for those immediately around her to hear. "And you, personally, know this to be true, Jarl."
Sylle Ru
"They do not know our customs, Jarl. They are outlanders." Despite his master turning to look at him, clearly irritated, the seer goes on. "As sound as your logic may seem to you, Anora the Blue, ‘tis not logic we abide, but Fate. The three Fates themselves must chose our sacrifice. This is what angered the Hound. This is why there was a bloodletting."
Nearby, Father Beacom clucks and gnashes his teeth in frustration, knowing the sins of the citizenry are responsible for everything that’s happened, but seems to know better than to interrupt the proceedings further.
Jarl Griegor
Glowering, at Anora, but also at Morgan, Ty, and Aldric, he nods his head slowly. "We have placed your names in the box too, strangers. And we will abide the name chosen by The Fates."
OOC:
One more quick post coming.
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Jul 18, 2024 3:12 pm
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Gesturing at Aldric, he adds, "Does your man, there, know that he wields nothing more than a spear of painted wood? It is false, that weapon."
Suddenly lowering his voice, despite the pair already being more or less alone, the handsome man adds, "Yet I believe I know where the true Wolf-Spear lies, the famed weapon of the Savage King Ulfheonar himself!"
Jul 18, 2024 4:00 pm
Dufgal sees and hears that the drama on the village stage was carrying on as he expected, he remains much more interested in the conversation at hand. "hehe, actually I’se figured that out last night when I grabbed it off the wall mount. I’se athinking to use it against that beast. I’se wish I’se could have the real one. Could you’se tell me where?"
And then after a moment,
"what's a skald anyways? We’se don’t has those where I’se from"
And then after a moment,
"what's a skald anyways? We’se don’t has those where I’se from"
Last edited July 18, 2024 4:01 pm
Jul 18, 2024 5:50 pm
The Three Fates themselves must choose our sacrifice.
Sylle Ru's words are like a dagger to the elf's cold heart. His mouth sags open beneath his loose-woven blindfold.
No no no...
But even as his soul recoils, Tyravasiel-Llir stares up at the blustering Jarl of this flyspeck town. At the execrable, flyspeck wizard crouched like a vulture over the lottery box. He sees the tears in Morgan's eyes, and absorbs her implication of the Jarl's "personal" knowledge that she is not loose with her favors.
And he knows what he must do.
As the elf tap-taps his way past the barmaid, he answers her question about his magic with a murmured, "Perhaps one spell more."
Ty places himself squarely before the platform. Raising his voice, he wails, "Is that a Jarl I hear, or a stewpot? Is that a seer, or a wheezing of bellows? A priest of Justicia, or a water-logged trumpet?!" The beggar throws his arms wide, clearing the space around him, trusting that his apparent blindness will excuse him to anyone he has to smack in the process.
"I believe I heard some wheezing about the Three Fates, the weird sisters who weave together all of life and time. Would you have them choose your sacrifice for you, Sylle Ru? Would you have them resolve this bleating about Justicia's power in the face of Pelagia's apparent blessing? Well then, trumpets! Well then, bellows! I invite you to ask the Fates themselves, and then fall silent before their answer!"
Tyravasiel tilts his head to the sky, his arms outstretched, palms opened upward in supplication. His broad-brimmed hat falls away, and his glittering silver hair tumbles down. And against all his better judgment, the wayward elf offers the breath of his body to those weird sisters. The very stuff of his own, nigh-eternal life, so long as the Fates will descend upon these accursed mayflies and stuff their damnable, swollen tongues back into their mouths.
Let the Ladies Three give them law.
Sylle Ru's words are like a dagger to the elf's cold heart. His mouth sags open beneath his loose-woven blindfold.
No no no...
But even as his soul recoils, Tyravasiel-Llir stares up at the blustering Jarl of this flyspeck town. At the execrable, flyspeck wizard crouched like a vulture over the lottery box. He sees the tears in Morgan's eyes, and absorbs her implication of the Jarl's "personal" knowledge that she is not loose with her favors.
And he knows what he must do.
As the elf tap-taps his way past the barmaid, he answers her question about his magic with a murmured, "Perhaps one spell more."
Ty places himself squarely before the platform. Raising his voice, he wails, "Is that a Jarl I hear, or a stewpot? Is that a seer, or a wheezing of bellows? A priest of Justicia, or a water-logged trumpet?!" The beggar throws his arms wide, clearing the space around him, trusting that his apparent blindness will excuse him to anyone he has to smack in the process.
"I believe I heard some wheezing about the Three Fates, the weird sisters who weave together all of life and time. Would you have them choose your sacrifice for you, Sylle Ru? Would you have them resolve this bleating about Justicia's power in the face of Pelagia's apparent blessing? Well then, trumpets! Well then, bellows! I invite you to ask the Fates themselves, and then fall silent before their answer!"
Tyravasiel tilts his head to the sky, his arms outstretched, palms opened upward in supplication. His broad-brimmed hat falls away, and his glittering silver hair tumbles down. And against all his better judgment, the wayward elf offers the breath of his body to those weird sisters. The very stuff of his own, nigh-eternal life, so long as the Fates will descend upon these accursed mayflies and stuff their damnable, swollen tongues back into their mouths.
Let the Ladies Three give them law.
OOC:
Casting Invoke Patron. With all the Spellburn! I'm taking 6 from Stamina and 3 from Strength, for a total bonus of +9. So I believe I'm rolling 1d20 + 9 (Spellburn bonus) +1 (Caster Level), or 1d20+10 total.Rolls
Invoke Patron - (1d20+10)
(16) + 10 = 26
Spellburn Manifestation - (1d4)
(1) = 1
Potential Patron Taint - (1d100)
(84) = 84
Will Check - (1d20+1)
(2) + 1 = 3
Sylle Ru
Jul 19, 2024 3:56 pm
Sylle Ru
The silver-haired outsider sees the dense, silvery web that connects the Jarl and Sylle Ru to that heavy lockbox. Sees the thin, wisping strands that tie the fates of everyone present to that box — and strangely to the Jarl and the seer themselves. Tiny, translucent spiders crawl over the whole scene, spinning and weaving more and more connections with each passing moment.
Sputtering, unable to even voice his fury, Jarl Griegor levels the point of his sword at the insolent elf as the crowd falls to dead silence. There is a moment when all present wonder if the Jarl will reel back and strike, but before his boil bloods fully his advisor stays his arm. A slight smile marks Ru’s face as he gently guides the Jarl’s sword lower, then he’s turning back towards that box and the wolf banner flying behind it.
"Jarl," he says, his voice carrying to the over one hundred souls present, "ignore his petulance. Stay true to your trust. And he is right! Let the fates answer, as they have in the past. Come. Draw the name. Let us see who must answer the call."
His breaths coming easier, the Jarl glowers at Ty one last time, then he spits near the elf as he sheaths his sword. Then, turning towards the trunk, he nods at Sylle Ru, giving leave for the other man to unlock the heavy, iron-reinforced box, which sits at the center of the platform on a thick wooden post.
But as the Jarl pulls a blindfold from a pocket, and as Sylle Ru produces the key that will unlock the heavy padlock, Tyravasiel senses one of the Fates smiling. Sees her, somehow, pulling at the threads on her spinning wheel. The spiders dance and scurry — and suddenly the strongbox shifts, then pitches forward, somehow tumbling off its pedestal. The crowd collectively jumps and gasps as it crashes heavily to the wooden platform beneath it, and as it tumbles and rocks to a stop.
Ru’s eyes meet the Jarl’s and something passes between the two men before the seer raises his hands. "An ill-omen!" he cries. "The Fates have spoken, now is not the time for them to tell us who next must do what needs doing, for the sake of Hirot! We must adjourn his drawing and meet later, when the stars have aligned!"
Rolls
Spellburn Spend Reduction (as discussed in Discord) - (1d5)
(5) = 5
Jul 19, 2024 9:24 pm
Dufgal, ever curious, but never certain about unseen things, turns to the handsome man crouched in the bushes with him and says, "I’se believe we’se jus’ seen a miracle as the wind ain’t blowing strong enuff to do that. That el… um, …that, uh, el-o-quent beggar. Did ‘e jus’ summon the gods?"
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Jul 20, 2024 2:56 am
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When the box practically leaps from its sound-seeming perch, tumbling and crashing down to the ground, the trim-bearded man's eyes go wide and he does not look away from the unfolding drama as he goes on, his voice now a hissing whisper. "Aye, he may have at that!" Then, quickly, he adds, "The spear lies in the King's tomb, I believe! That mound is not far from here... but 'tis haunted, legends say."
Jul 20, 2024 3:58 am
As if the torch was suddenly lit in Dufgal’s mind, his eyes get wide. Both at the thought of meeting a real poet and at the clue that his crew would value greatly. He seemed to completely miss the caution of a haunting.
"What was that king’s name agin? Wolf hater? And where is that mound, you say?"
As he awaits his answer, Dufgal realizes that he forgot to ask for his new friend’s name.
"and I’se forgot to ask yer name, goodsir!"
"What was that king’s name agin? Wolf hater? And where is that mound, you say?"
As he awaits his answer, Dufgal realizes that he forgot to ask for his new friend’s name.
"and I’se forgot to ask yer name, goodsir!"
Jul 20, 2024 6:23 am
Aldric knows this wasn't Pelagia's doing, but he was never one to let an opportunity go to waste. Besides, the elf would probably appreciate someone taking credit, to cast aside suspicions of his origin.
He gathers around any who look like they might listen, but he makes his way toward the old woman.
"Pelagia hold sway wherever rain falls. Yes, even here, in Hirot, where tears have flowed like a river for so long. Make no mistake, this is The Brine Mother's doing, to put to a halt that wretched lottery."
"It is not the sea's way to feed your friends and family to the jaws of the beast while you patiently hope for salvation. She is abhorred by this abominable practice!"
As he reaches the old woman, who he believes to be the crone they heard earlier, he looks her in the eye with uncharacteristic (and perhaps a little performative) respect, as if beseaching a great sage.
"Give us the tools to fight this cursed dog!"
He gathers around any who look like they might listen, but he makes his way toward the old woman.
"Pelagia hold sway wherever rain falls. Yes, even here, in Hirot, where tears have flowed like a river for so long. Make no mistake, this is The Brine Mother's doing, to put to a halt that wretched lottery."
"It is not the sea's way to feed your friends and family to the jaws of the beast while you patiently hope for salvation. She is abhorred by this abominable practice!"
As he reaches the old woman, who he believes to be the crone they heard earlier, he looks her in the eye with uncharacteristic (and perhaps a little performative) respect, as if beseaching a great sage.
"Give us the tools to fight this cursed dog!"
Last edited July 20, 2024 6:24 am
Jul 21, 2024 8:26 am
Anora gently removes her hand from the pommel of her weapon. She had slipped a hand between her robes so as to keep the thing hidden, but draw it of the Jarl threw caution to the wind and attacked.
Each threat to Hirot seems only to be delayed, rather than dealt with entirely. She feels the day’s length ahead of her then.
"Still…" she says, continuing her thoughts aloud. "… we have some time to make our next move." she offers to the others quietly. She looks to the elf, and wonders on the magicks he has expended on the town’s behalf. He had accused her of being too involved, and yet it was he that had snubbed the Jarl and his magician dog.
Each threat to Hirot seems only to be delayed, rather than dealt with entirely. She feels the day’s length ahead of her then.
"Still…" she says, continuing her thoughts aloud. "… we have some time to make our next move." she offers to the others quietly. She looks to the elf, and wonders on the magicks he has expended on the town’s behalf. He had accused her of being too involved, and yet it was he that had snubbed the Jarl and his magician dog.
Jul 23, 2024 2:44 am
"It would seem that neither Fates nor true gods are fond of your little box, worthies," Ty declares, head cocked to listen. "I heard it take a tumble. Pray they do not tumble you down as well."
To the elf's credit, his voice shakes only a little. Confronted with the mind-bending presence of his patronesses, literally surrounded by their web of Fate and its scurrying servitors, it's all he can do to keep from hyperventilating. The strength has gone out of him, and he feels as if he may topple at any moment, but he won't give the Jarl or Sylle Ru the satisfaction of seeing him do so. Plenty of time for collapsing when the flyspecks are gone. Tyravasiel braces his feet and tries his best to wait them out.
And he would very much like to have a look in that little box. If Wee Tocs' suspicions are correct, then its contents would be enlightening.
To the elf's credit, his voice shakes only a little. Confronted with the mind-bending presence of his patronesses, literally surrounded by their web of Fate and its scurrying servitors, it's all he can do to keep from hyperventilating. The strength has gone out of him, and he feels as if he may topple at any moment, but he won't give the Jarl or Sylle Ru the satisfaction of seeing him do so. Plenty of time for collapsing when the flyspecks are gone. Tyravasiel braces his feet and tries his best to wait them out.
And he would very much like to have a look in that little box. If Wee Tocs' suspicions are correct, then its contents would be enlightening.
Jul 23, 2024 6:10 am
Jarl Griegor
"Fix it!" he barks to two of his men, who dismount and move to retrieve the box. When they lift it, Sylle Ru points to the Jarl's great house that looms over the village.
Sylle Ru
Lowering his voice as he moves closer to Ty and Anora, the Seer adds, "Nonsense! It is your presence here that is an ill omen. You were not intended to intervene. Morgan was to be the sacrifice, you fools! She was chosen! Now the gods themselves will intervene. They will act, I am certain."
Ty isn't sure when the spinning wheels, luminescent arachnids and their gossamer strands vanish from his vision, but suddenly he is fully back in the moment, in the here and now with Ru sniping and Anora at his side.
Some distance from the unsettled crowd, who are already beginning to break up as the Jarl stalks away barking that the church bell will ring to signal the next assembly, Aldric finds his way to the old woman watching from the rear. She eyes him as he approaches, squint-eyed and full of a vigor that seems to far outstrip her apparent age. Stooped and wrinkled like a grape sat too long in the sun, the grey-haired crone offers a toothless grin when Aldric, leading a few converts, approaches and says what he does.
The Mad Widow Ymae
Seated in her ornate wooden chair, absurdly placed on top of an oval-shaped table with a long, draping tablecloth, the old woman leans forward. "And what makes you think, drowned priest, that if I know these things I might share them with you?"
OOC:
Feel free to fence with Sylle Ru or move on. Ty is wondering about Wee Tocs. Is he willing to look for him?
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Jul 23, 2024 6:27 am
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When the outsider asks about the tomb, the man with the goden locks that shine in the sun answers. "His tomb is north of Hirot, in the woods, across the stream that feeds the sunken fens. A walk that takes no more than a half-turn of the glass. I can show you if need be. I have looked on it often... but never dared approach it."
Suddenly extending his hand, he adds, "Well... that didn't go as they planned. And I am Lloré, good sir. You are called?"
Jul 23, 2024 8:08 am
"Why not ensure the thing is sound here and now?" Anora asks, as innocently as the moment and her presence in it would allow for.
"The fine folk of Hirot must have fears that need assuaging. Look at their faces. It would do them good to let them see with their own eyes, so that mischief and rumor do not spread!" she says, with a nod that says the matter must be settled, though she supposed the magician wouldn’t go for it.
"The fine folk of Hirot must have fears that need assuaging. Look at their faces. It would do them good to let them see with their own eyes, so that mischief and rumor do not spread!" she says, with a nod that says the matter must be settled, though she supposed the magician wouldn’t go for it.
Jul 23, 2024 3:38 pm
If their hiding place was fooling anyone, then Dufgal’s gasp and full volume reaction was the end of it.
"But sir! Yours was spoken as the name o’ the dead! The man, Dolsten, spoke it. I’se ‘eard it clear as bells. How is it that you are alive?!"
And with that, Dufgal grabs the shoulder of the man to ensure he is not a ghost nor a hallucination.
"But sir! Yours was spoken as the name o’ the dead! The man, Dolsten, spoke it. I’se ‘eard it clear as bells. How is it that you are alive?!"
And with that, Dufgal grabs the shoulder of the man to ensure he is not a ghost nor a hallucination.
Jul 25, 2024 1:24 am
Aldric's attention is entirely upon the crone. In fact he makes a show of it, ignoring Sylle Ru and the Jarl as he speaks to her, as if he had found the true power in the village.
"How do I know you know something, madam? Every town has a wise woman who is ignored by foolish men. I think these men strutting about on their horses and making prayers to their so-called True Gods have completely fucked things up here. And maybe you tried to tell them, and everyone else, only to be ignored."
"And so now, you watch from your chair and laugh at their little box and their stupid game. And rightfully so."
"Why share with us strangers? The Bitch Queen is the wise woman in her village, the village of the gods. I am her vessel, my fellow travellers are her disciples. No other gods have taken an interest, but Pelagia is fixed on this hound with much loathing in her breast."
"Someone must put this mess back before more blood is spilled. Give us the tools, and we will finish the job."
"How do I know you know something, madam? Every town has a wise woman who is ignored by foolish men. I think these men strutting about on their horses and making prayers to their so-called True Gods have completely fucked things up here. And maybe you tried to tell them, and everyone else, only to be ignored."
"And so now, you watch from your chair and laugh at their little box and their stupid game. And rightfully so."
"Why share with us strangers? The Bitch Queen is the wise woman in her village, the village of the gods. I am her vessel, my fellow travellers are her disciples. No other gods have taken an interest, but Pelagia is fixed on this hound with much loathing in her breast."
"Someone must put this mess back before more blood is spilled. Give us the tools, and we will finish the job."
Jul 25, 2024 5:03 am
Anora lets the silence hang a moment, hoping that every second the townsfolk watched on was another inch the net was closing in on Ru and his plans.
Sylle Ru
Jul 25, 2024 6:41 am
Sylle Ru
Then, seeing that indeed more than a few townsfolk are lingering, waiting to see the drama unfold either here or near the Mad Widow and the Mad Priest, Sylle Ru gestures to the Justician priest. "Beacom! Father Beacom! Come close, our guest is right. The people of Hirot needs comforting, they need to confess their many transgressions to Justicia. See to it, man. Make yourself useful! Prepare our brothers and sister for what may come."
The Mad Widow Ymae
Jul 25, 2024 6:56 am
The Mad Widow Ymae
Over her shoulder, Ymae winks at Aldric and calls back to him.
"Visit me in one hour, sea-priest! And be prepared for a barter."
Lloré
Jul 25, 2024 7:09 am
Lloré
"I bound myself and dutifully waited for my end at the stones. But the Hound... I do not know why, but my tender flesh was not to the demon-beast's liking."
Pulling his eyes from Morgan's pleasing form, he adds, "It is not surprising Dolsten believes me dead. The last he saw of me, I was bound and awaiting certain death!"
OOC:
Luck roll please, Dufgal. Let's see if this convo can continue uninterrupted.Jul 25, 2024 4:15 pm
Dufgal feels as though he is having a spiritual experience. His eyes are at their widest, his mouth slackens, and he fumbles for the words,
I’se not seen… miracles… and such, but it shore seems like… you’se are one!
The simpleton thief has not known much and experienced less, but he is convinced that this poet is in love with Morgan and his love saved them both. His eyes glisten with idealism.
I’se not seen… miracles… and such, but it shore seems like… you’se are one!
The simpleton thief has not known much and experienced less, but he is convinced that this poet is in love with Morgan and his love saved them both. His eyes glisten with idealism.
Last edited July 25, 2024 4:18 pm
Rolls
Luck check (currently 10) - (1d20)
(3) = 3
Jul 25, 2024 5:01 pm
Tyravasiel-Llir stands quietly-- and he hopes, stoutly-- beside Anora the Blue. His legs have a noodly quality about them that concerns him; he would very much like to sit down, anywhere. But the elf considers that the dignity of their little party, such as it is, will be better served if he remains upright and defiant until the Jarl and his henchman have quit the field.
From his place, and from beneath the weave of his blindfold, Ty's too-green eyes flick over the crowd as it mills and shifts. Is the boy Tocs anywhere to be seen? If so, what is he watching? The child has shown hints of a good eye, at least for a human.
From his place, and from beneath the weave of his blindfold, Ty's too-green eyes flick over the crowd as it mills and shifts. Is the boy Tocs anywhere to be seen? If so, what is he watching? The child has shown hints of a good eye, at least for a human.
Jul 26, 2024 12:50 am
"Is there a higher power that you don’t appeal to, Sylle Ru?" the woman barbs.
"The Fates, Justicia, and now the humble carpenter." she goes on, hoping the man feels the sting of her putting the Jarl’s magician beneath the villagers of Hirot.
She waves her hand, as if the conversation were no beneath her. She casts her eyes about the village, trying to place her companions.
"The Fates, Justicia, and now the humble carpenter." she goes on, hoping the man feels the sting of her putting the Jarl’s magician beneath the villagers of Hirot.
She waves her hand, as if the conversation were no beneath her. She casts her eyes about the village, trying to place her companions.
Lloré
Jul 26, 2024 5:46 am
Lloré
OOC:
Dufgal, please make a skill check based on Personality. DC10, but you are unskilled at reading people, so you're rolling 1d10 + Personality Mod.Jul 26, 2024 6:01 am
Sylle Ru
Taking his leave, preparing to follow behind the two Thegns carrying the box, he adds, "Come when the bell next tolls, Anora the Blue. Come, and stand before the Fates Three."
Wee Tocs
The boy just lifts his chin slightly when he spots Ty across the cobbled plaza, acknowledging his awareness of the silver-haired fae, and perhaps pointing him out to his fellows.
The townsfolks have given Ty a wide berth after his revelation, but now two Thegns still astride horses watch him carefully, despite the retreat of the Jarl and Sylle Ru.
Jul 26, 2024 6:18 am
Dufgal was momentarily lost in fantasy and didn’t really care if any of it was true. He liked the story that was playing out in his mind.
He snapped back to reality as he realized that the tension in the market square had grown colder and quieter. People dispersing allowed him to locate his crew more easily.
"You’se reminded me that I left the others wondring my wheresabouts too long. I’se best get back. Awful nice sittin’ ’ere with you. Good luck with… your pashuns." He immediately blushed as he said this last comment, but shrugged and rose to his feet and left the hedge.
He snapped back to reality as he realized that the tension in the market square had grown colder and quieter. People dispersing allowed him to locate his crew more easily.
"You’se reminded me that I left the others wondring my wheresabouts too long. I’se best get back. Awful nice sittin’ ’ere with you. Good luck with… your pashuns." He immediately blushed as he said this last comment, but shrugged and rose to his feet and left the hedge.
OOC:
He will head towards whichever party member is closest Last edited July 26, 2024 6:23 am
Rolls
Reading the poet (not his poems) - (1d10)
(4) = 4
Jul 26, 2024 9:42 am
I’m sure I’ve stood before them once enough already today… the woman can’t help but think, but fails to throw a final barb at Ru. She was sure that he would fill the box to stuffing with slips of paper all bearing her name.
No matter. They would have a hard time binding the wizardess and carting her off towards the pillars, that much she could promise.
No matter. They would have a hard time binding the wizardess and carting her off towards the pillars, that much she could promise.
Jul 28, 2024 2:22 am
Fortunately, Ty's blindfold makes it hard to determine just where attention has strayed. He can glance from Tocs and his crew, to the mounted thegns now monitoring him, without betraying the former to the latter.
Probably best, the elf thinks, not to let those thegns know that he's been talking to the local urchins. For the urchins' sake and his own. They'd probably bolt anyway, if Ty tottered over there with the riders' eyes upon him.
So he declares, to the open air, "The Fates have withdrawn, and I must rest." Turning, Tyravasiel starts back towards the Wolf-Spear at a stagger. He hopes he can make it there before falling on his face.
What in the twelve hells has he done? Why involve himself-- why involve his patrons-- in the affairs of this flyspeck village? Was it mere pique at having been sneered at by humans as far beneath him as an enterprising squirrel is beneath them? Are the Weird Sisters somehow guiding him towards this absurd course by means of his own impulses?
Ty knows only that he needs a seat. A seat and a drink.
Probably best, the elf thinks, not to let those thegns know that he's been talking to the local urchins. For the urchins' sake and his own. They'd probably bolt anyway, if Ty tottered over there with the riders' eyes upon him.
So he declares, to the open air, "The Fates have withdrawn, and I must rest." Turning, Tyravasiel starts back towards the Wolf-Spear at a stagger. He hopes he can make it there before falling on his face.
What in the twelve hells has he done? Why involve himself-- why involve his patrons-- in the affairs of this flyspeck village? Was it mere pique at having been sneered at by humans as far beneath him as an enterprising squirrel is beneath them? Are the Weird Sisters somehow guiding him towards this absurd course by means of his own impulses?
Ty knows only that he needs a seat. A seat and a drink.
Last edited July 28, 2024 2:22 am
Jul 28, 2024 2:59 am
Aldric returns to the company of others with the departure of the Crone, Ymae. What an exit she just cut, he admits to himself. I have a thing or two to learn. But perhaps not so much, as he had procured an audience with her. Surely, her knowledge would lead them to discover the creature's weakness, or some such thing.
He is quick to inform his comrades about his pending audience with Ymae, and suggests they attend the meeting if they have no other pressing matters to attend to.
He is quick to inform his comrades about his pending audience with Ymae, and suggests they attend the meeting if they have no other pressing matters to attend to.
Jul 28, 2024 5:57 am
THE WOLF-SPEAR (ALL)
A pall falls over Hirot as the gathering at the market well and truly goes to pieces, with the muttering villagers returning to their homes to bolt doors and shutter windows… and to waitfor the inevitable ringing of the church bell. A lot of blood had been spilled the prior night, the Jarl’s fury was something none of them wanted to face, and the stress of the lottery weighed heavy on hearts and minds.
Inside the Wolf-Spear, where the visitors to the town retreat along with Morgan, Dolsten and a few others, there is time to pour drinks, rest backs, and consider next moves. Feeling halfway himself, thanks to Aldric’s attentions the prior night, Broegan puts in an appearance as well. The man does not look well, but considering his injuries…
Dufgal, before Lloré departed, still under cover, he told you to whisper in Morgan’s ear that her true love yet lived and could be found at the Sign of the Three Rats, the village's only other inn / flophouse. Lloré loathed the place, and believed no one would ever look for him there…
A pall falls over Hirot as the gathering at the market well and truly goes to pieces, with the muttering villagers returning to their homes to bolt doors and shutter windows… and to waitfor the inevitable ringing of the church bell. A lot of blood had been spilled the prior night, the Jarl’s fury was something none of them wanted to face, and the stress of the lottery weighed heavy on hearts and minds.
Inside the Wolf-Spear, where the visitors to the town retreat along with Morgan, Dolsten and a few others, there is time to pour drinks, rest backs, and consider next moves. Feeling halfway himself, thanks to Aldric’s attentions the prior night, Broegan puts in an appearance as well. The man does not look well, but considering his injuries…
OOC:
You’re all here, free to chat, plot, and move to new scenes as you will. I don’t care if you split up or stick together — whatever needs to get done.Dufgal, before Lloré departed, still under cover, he told you to whisper in Morgan’s ear that her true love yet lived and could be found at the Sign of the Three Rats, the village's only other inn / flophouse. Lloré loathed the place, and believed no one would ever look for him there…
Jul 28, 2024 3:11 pm
Dufgal snickered a bit as the confirmation of his suspicions came as a whisper from the poet. The thief didn’t read, but he had heard poets and bards at the ale house spin tales of romance. He felt as though he was a minor character in one right now. So he actually changed his mission from connecting with his party to delivering the lovers’ message. He must find Morgan and fast. She must be heartsick from worry.
Jul 29, 2024 12:20 am
OOC:
Morgan is present (in the Wolf-Spear), along with her father Broegan and Dolsten. And a few other unnamed bit players.Jul 29, 2024 3:16 am
Once inside the inn, Ty aims for the nearest chair and collapses into it. He slouches until his feet are stretched out in front of him and his head is nestled well down on the back rest, face to the rafters, prone as he can be without his bottom slipping off the seat. One hand curls over his hidden eyes to block out any light.
He's spent.
"We could just go back to Garion's Folly. Collect our payment," Ty says at last, voice half-muffled by his palm. "We know why good Dolsten here didn't show up for the Harvest Faire. That was our charge, was it not?"
Someone has to say it. It may as well be the asshole elf.
He's spent.
"We could just go back to Garion's Folly. Collect our payment," Ty says at last, voice half-muffled by his palm. "We know why good Dolsten here didn't show up for the Harvest Faire. That was our charge, was it not?"
Someone has to say it. It may as well be the asshole elf.
Jul 29, 2024 3:39 am
"We could." Anora admits simply, letting the elf fall from her shoulder to the chair.
"But for the fact that those horsemen outside would run us down on the road. And if we stray into the woods to avoid them…" she says, stopping up short. They had all witnessed the grisly scene a few nights before; the brutalized hunters and their camp.
"One of us is sure to be drawn from the box once the bell tolls." she announces to the others then, and wonders if it might be her! Three of them had given more than enough reason to be done away with.
"We ought to prepare our answer to that." she says. Could they manage that much at least?
"But for the fact that those horsemen outside would run us down on the road. And if we stray into the woods to avoid them…" she says, stopping up short. They had all witnessed the grisly scene a few nights before; the brutalized hunters and their camp.
"One of us is sure to be drawn from the box once the bell tolls." she announces to the others then, and wonders if it might be her! Three of them had given more than enough reason to be done away with.
"We ought to prepare our answer to that." she says. Could they manage that much at least?
Jul 29, 2024 4:55 am
Broegan Haverson
After a nudge from his daughter, the man looks at Aldric and adds, "And thank you, priest. I'm told your standing with the sea goddess saved my life."
Dolsten
Morgan Haverson
"Like with them lights, last night, that blinded the beast!"
Jul 29, 2024 5:39 am
Dufgal lays eyes on Morgan and a lump forms in his throat. The message he carries is rolling over in his mind. He approaches her leering smilingly. He waits for her to notice him and then whispers, "True love is a sign of three rats. Wait, I’se got it wrong. The poet man wants you to know that ’e is waiting for you."
Jul 29, 2024 4:00 pm
Ty says:
"We could just go back to Garion's Folly. Collect our payment," Ty says at last, voice half-muffled by his palm. "We know why good Dolsten here didn't show up for the Harvest Faire. That was our charge, was it not?""I am now pledged to intervene. Pelagia has made her intentions known, and even if I desired it, I cannot escape it anymore than a fish can escape the water. Nay, my god and I are dedicated to the saving of Hirot."
This is what he says loudly, but just to his company he says more words: "That doesn't mean we are trapped here. We all want more than just paltry sums earned from odd jobs between towns. This is a chance to win measurable influence and substantial wealth. Or, at least more than we are promised upon our return to Garion's Folly."
Broegan says:
After a nudge from his daughter, the man looks at Aldric and adds, "And thank you, priest. I'm told your standing with the sea goddess saved my life."Last edited July 29, 2024 4:01 pm
Jul 30, 2024 10:07 am
Pelagia and the Fates reaped the greatest of the glory on the matter of saving Hirot from the beast. Scarce praise was meted out to Peter, the blacksmith boy, that had taken Anora’s coin in exchange for the sword she carried.
"Greater acts of magic will be needed to rip the rot out root and stem." Anora sighs, and perks up once mention of the crone is made.
"I don’t suppose the answers she will dispense will involve a simply climb over the village wall? Something buried but a stone’s throw away from the Jarl’s ‘protection’." she snarks. Nothing would be that easy, she knew.
"Greater acts of magic will be needed to rip the rot out root and stem." Anora sighs, and perks up once mention of the crone is made.
"I don’t suppose the answers she will dispense will involve a simply climb over the village wall? Something buried but a stone’s throw away from the Jarl’s ‘protection’." she snarks. Nothing would be that easy, she knew.
Jul 31, 2024 6:01 am
Morgan Haverson
Dolsten
When Aldric, a bit oblivious, asks about Ymae, it's Broegan who speaks up.
Broegan Haverson
Dolsten
Jul 31, 2024 7:44 am
"I’se sat with ‘im in a hedge not an hour past. ‘E’s very much alive and told me to tell you’se that."
At this point, Dufgal has forgotten to whisper.
"E’s at the other tavern. The one with rats."
At this point, Dufgal has forgotten to whisper.
"E’s at the other tavern. The one with rats."
Jul 31, 2024 10:00 am
When word of shit slinging is brought up, Anora can’t help but feel that the crone has met her match in Aldric, who only last night seeped the tavern entire in his waters…
"Is her name in the box?" she asks them, as if they’d know.
"Her magicks may have waned, but perhaps the magician still fears a confrontation with her."
"Is her name in the box?" she asks them, as if they’d know.
"Her magicks may have waned, but perhaps the magician still fears a confrontation with her."
Jul 31, 2024 3:05 pm
Morgan Haverson
"Fair hair and skin, a scruffy beard," the brunette asks pointedly, "yay tall, slender-boned… wears his hair in a gods-awful bun?"
When Dufgal nods, Morgan looks incredulously towards Dolsten, who shakes his head slightly.
Dolsten
Broegan Haverson
Then, when Anora asks questions about Ymae, Broegan continues. "Aye, her name’s in there, with everyone else’s. They made quite a show of entering even their own scrawled scripts, did the Jarl and his pet soothsayer."
Morgan Haverson
Aug 1, 2024 1:40 am
Aldric's mind has gone down a few flights of fancy as the discussion goes back and forth. He might seem addled (and he is), but there's also a crafty genius to him. He is distracted as he mentally examines the divine gifts that Pelagia has washed up on his mind this day, and wonders why she equipped him with these tools. Surely, she has chosen them with a purpose in mind. One of these in particular - a dweomer to Detect Evil and harm - seems quite useful to keep up his sleeve. He intends to cast it before he meets with the Chrone. Speaking of which, didn't her name just come up?
"Hmm? Widow? What's the story there, child? Tell me all that you know, even if it is rumour."
"Hmm? Widow? What's the story there, child? Tell me all that you know, even if it is rumour."
Aug 1, 2024 2:35 am
Pelagia's nethers, they're really going to fight the eldritch hound.
For just a moment, Ty entertains the idea of slipping away on his own. One elf, traveling light, might evade the thegns' pursuit where several heavy-footed humans would not. But if he were to return to Garion's Folly without Anora the Blue, whose self-righteous body he is ostensibly guarding, then surely Relfarious the Shrewd would shrewdly withhold any payment. And this whole wretched adventure will have been for naught.
Tyravasiel-Llir sighs through the fingers over his face.
"If Sylle Ru's name is in that box, then I'll eat my hat," he tells Broegan. "Or if it is, then the Jarl's seer has some way of selecting just the lot he wants. That one--" Ty waves his free hand in Morgan's direction-- "refused the Jarl's advances, and lo and behold, she must go up to the stones. Fate indeed."
For just a moment, Ty entertains the idea of slipping away on his own. One elf, traveling light, might evade the thegns' pursuit where several heavy-footed humans would not. But if he were to return to Garion's Folly without Anora the Blue, whose self-righteous body he is ostensibly guarding, then surely Relfarious the Shrewd would shrewdly withhold any payment. And this whole wretched adventure will have been for naught.
Tyravasiel-Llir sighs through the fingers over his face.
"If Sylle Ru's name is in that box, then I'll eat my hat," he tells Broegan. "Or if it is, then the Jarl's seer has some way of selecting just the lot he wants. That one--" Ty waves his free hand in Morgan's direction-- "refused the Jarl's advances, and lo and behold, she must go up to the stones. Fate indeed."
Aug 1, 2024 4:10 am
Broegan Haverson
"Rarely comes out of her hut. Rumored to truck with devils and dark forces in there as long as I can remember. I was just inside the front door once, delivering foodstuffs one cold winter. Gods, the smells in there. There's something off about the whole place."
Morgan Haverson
When the conversation turns back to the box and the names is supposedly contains, and Morgan's selection, the girl looks at the reclining elf with surprise before she glances at her father, whose jaw is clenched, and whose temple is throbbing. It's enough to make the younger Haverson change the subject, which she does after nodding at Dufgal.
"We need to see Lloré, find out what happened. He's at the Sign of the Three Rats!"
Aug 1, 2024 4:55 am
After delivering his message to Morgan, Dufgal walks up to Aldric with earnest. "I’se can come with you’se to meet your crone if you’se like."
Aug 3, 2024 1:31 pm
"Perhaps we ought to divide and conquer?" Anora offers. "Dufgal might return to lay eyes on this Lloré. His survival could aid us tonight, if we find ourselves similarly cornered."
She turns to look at the cleric then. Surely he would need accompanying, in case he had another episode while he stood before the crone.
"And someone to help Aldric here wrestle information from the village seer."
She turns to look at the cleric then. Surely he would need accompanying, in case he had another episode while he stood before the crone.
"And someone to help Aldric here wrestle information from the village seer."
Last edited August 3, 2024 1:31 pm
Aug 4, 2024 1:56 pm
First they insist on opposing the Hound of Hirot, and now they want him out of his chair? It seems a double cruelty to the exhausted elf. He shifts in his seat and scuffs a shoe across the floor, testing the soundness of spine and legs. Every muscle aches, but they seem to function. He can stand, and he can hobble. Probably.
What Ty can't do is keep the groan of pain and displeasure from bubbling up around his palm.
"I will accompany buxom Mistress Haverson to see her beloved," Tyravasiel declares, with evident reluctance. "It may be that the skald will let drop some pearls of wisdom from twixt his pearly teeth concerning last night's aborted sacrifice."
Dolsten said that Lloré lashed himself to the sacrificial stone in Morgan's place. A pretty phrase that, lashed himself. What is done by a man's hand can always be undone. Very likely the skald unlashed himself as soon as his lady love was out of earshot and made off to save his own skin. Another miracle on a night of miracles! But Ty will go and listen to whatever story the storyteller chooses to spin.
What Ty can't do is keep the groan of pain and displeasure from bubbling up around his palm.
"I will accompany buxom Mistress Haverson to see her beloved," Tyravasiel declares, with evident reluctance. "It may be that the skald will let drop some pearls of wisdom from twixt his pearly teeth concerning last night's aborted sacrifice."
Dolsten said that Lloré lashed himself to the sacrificial stone in Morgan's place. A pretty phrase that, lashed himself. What is done by a man's hand can always be undone. Very likely the skald unlashed himself as soon as his lady love was out of earshot and made off to save his own skin. Another miracle on a night of miracles! But Ty will go and listen to whatever story the storyteller chooses to spin.
Last edited August 4, 2024 1:57 pm
Aug 5, 2024 2:38 pm
Dufgal feels most connected to the cleric, so he pretends that he didn’t hear Anora’s dictate and moves to Aldric’s side.
Aug 5, 2024 11:42 pm
"Dufgal, my most faithful among my flock. Undoubtedly, we will make a good pair to investigate this widow. I fear not her magic; though strong, I'm sure, it is no match for Pelagia's salty blessings. I will prepare my spell to warn us of evil."
Range: 60’ radius from cleric or more (see below)
Duration: 6 turns
Casting time: 1 action
Save: Will vs. spell check DC (sometimes)
First spell check fails! Disapproval range goes up to 2...
Second try gives Aldric the minimum result: Creatures of opposed alignment are potentially detected, as well as objects inherently dangerous in nature (such as traps and cursed weapons). Evil creatures receive a Will save vs. spell check DC to remain undetected by this spell.
OOC:
When it is time to go, Aldric will cast Detect Evil:Range: 60’ radius from cleric or more (see below)
Duration: 6 turns
Casting time: 1 action
Save: Will vs. spell check DC (sometimes)
First spell check fails! Disapproval range goes up to 2...
Second try gives Aldric the minimum result: Creatures of opposed alignment are potentially detected, as well as objects inherently dangerous in nature (such as traps and cursed weapons). Evil creatures receive a Will save vs. spell check DC to remain undetected by this spell.
Last edited August 5, 2024 11:49 pm
Rolls
Spell Check for casting Detect Evil - (1d20+1)
(3) + 1 = 4
Second try - (1d20+1)
(11) + 1 = 12
Aug 5, 2024 11:54 pm
Dufgal feels a warmth from the cleric’s affirmation. "I’se sure like to learn magics like you’se ‘ave. Mayhaps, you’se could teach me how to read from a scroll or somethin’"
Dufgal readies his pack for departure.
Dufgal readies his pack for departure.
Aug 7, 2024 12:57 am
Tempted to merely sink into a seat and allow herself a moment’s rest, Anora stays quiet a moment. They hadn’t stopped since they had set out on the road days before, and the pace showed no signs of slowing.
She needed to think! Think on this Ru, and the Jarl, and the hound and every other damned thing she had encountered since she had met the procession out by the stones.
And yet, wasn’t it she that the others were being paid to accompany. How could she leave them going about the village if she wouldn’t do so herself.
"I will visit the crone, too." she announces, wondering if that were the right move.
"Let us see what she has done to divert disaster here, if anything at all…"
She needed to think! Think on this Ru, and the Jarl, and the hound and every other damned thing she had encountered since she had met the procession out by the stones.
And yet, wasn’t it she that the others were being paid to accompany. How could she leave them going about the village if she wouldn’t do so herself.
"I will visit the crone, too." she announces, wondering if that were the right move.
"Let us see what she has done to divert disaster here, if anything at all…"
Aug 7, 2024 6:07 am
Morgan Haverson
"I can lead you there," she offers quietly, before continuing, "and he's not my beloved. He's just fixated a bit's all. He'll get over it."
Broegan Haverson
Dolsten
OOC:
More coming in the next post.Aug 7, 2024 6:32 am
OUTSIDE THE MAD WIDOW YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC, ANORA, DUFGAL)
Grim Hirot seems to grow quieter and grimer still when Anora, Aldric and Dufgal leave the Wolf-Spear and make the short walk to their destination, a hovel past the built-up causeway that leads to the Jarl's great hall, tucked against the side of the huge earthen mound that supports the village headman's massive structure. A pair of Thegns watch them go from their horses up on the mound, surveying almost the village from their elevated vantage point.
Ymae's round house is made of wattle and daub, has a thatch roof and is tucked right up against the earthen hillside. Its front yard teems with strange artwork, statuettes, creeping vines, strange flowers, out-of-control herb gardens, and wooden and metal trinkets tinkling in the wind. Her stout wooden door, a round, green affair set into the middle of the building's front wall, is shut tight. No windows adorn the place, and the hum of insects is louder here than seems natural.
Grim Hirot seems to grow quieter and grimer still when Anora, Aldric and Dufgal leave the Wolf-Spear and make the short walk to their destination, a hovel past the built-up causeway that leads to the Jarl's great hall, tucked against the side of the huge earthen mound that supports the village headman's massive structure. A pair of Thegns watch them go from their horses up on the mound, surveying almost the village from their elevated vantage point.
Ymae's round house is made of wattle and daub, has a thatch roof and is tucked right up against the earthen hillside. Its front yard teems with strange artwork, statuettes, creeping vines, strange flowers, out-of-control herb gardens, and wooden and metal trinkets tinkling in the wind. Her stout wooden door, a round, green affair set into the middle of the building's front wall, is shut tight. No windows adorn the place, and the hum of insects is louder here than seems natural.
OOC:
See the map in the Judge Handout page, below. Her house is A6 on the map.Aug 7, 2024 6:59 am
THE SIGN OF THE THREE RATS (TY AND MORGAN)
Morgan's eyes are up on the Sky Biers as she walks with Tyravasiel-Llir, arm-in arm to lead him. Those killed the night before were being born up there, and would soon be set alight. It was a northern habit, cremating the dead... likely to do with the ground being frozen and too hard to dig during the long winters. A black plume already rises, sign that Nothan and the others will soon be given back to the sky.
The pair passes by houses, some abandoned, some shuttered though still occupied, and past stables, pens and byres on the way to the Three Rats. Animals nicker and softly cluck, seeming afraid themselves to make too much noise as Ty and the barmaid come to stand before the inn. It is a shambles. A dilapidated, two-story flophouse of the worst order. The outcast fae is able to smell the place from some distance away; run down and filthy, he knows that businesses like this one are often infested by lice and other vermin that leap for cloth, flesh and hair the first chance they get.
"This is a terrible place, run by Master Jenks, who is a terrible man," Morgan says with quiet care as they approach. "Cutpurses and scoundrels linger in the shadows here, Ty. Employed by Jenks, I've heard. If Lloré is here he must be desperate to not be found."
On the sagging front stoop, a pair of young teens play at some game of dice, then look up as Ty and Morgan approach. One of the pair is Wee Tocs, Ty sees, and the other is some child so indescribably dirty that their gender is fully a mystery to a the elf.
Morgan Haverson
The pair passes by houses, some abandoned, some shuttered though still occupied, and past stables, pens and byres on the way to the Three Rats. Animals nicker and softly cluck, seeming afraid themselves to make too much noise as Ty and the barmaid come to stand before the inn. It is a shambles. A dilapidated, two-story flophouse of the worst order. The outcast fae is able to smell the place from some distance away; run down and filthy, he knows that businesses like this one are often infested by lice and other vermin that leap for cloth, flesh and hair the first chance they get.
"This is a terrible place, run by Master Jenks, who is a terrible man," Morgan says with quiet care as they approach. "Cutpurses and scoundrels linger in the shadows here, Ty. Employed by Jenks, I've heard. If Lloré is here he must be desperate to not be found."
Wee Tocs
OOC:
For orientation, the Sky Biers are A11 on that town map that's on the handout page, and the Sign of the Three Rats is A5. Enjoy!Aug 7, 2024 12:52 pm
Anora surveys the scene, and almost rolls her eyes. These village witches had a certain reputation, but she did so wish that she would meet one to break the mould at some point.
"Cliche ornaments! Closer to your manner of magick than mine." she says, raising an eyebrow to Aldric. The woman was closer to deity worship than studied arcana, that much was for certain.
"Cliche ornaments! Closer to your manner of magick than mine." she says, raising an eyebrow to Aldric. The woman was closer to deity worship than studied arcana, that much was for certain.
Aug 7, 2024 6:45 pm
It struck Aldric, right there at the mouth of the widow-witch's hovel, that Anora the Blue did not have the proper level of respect for Pelagia's gifts. If he were the kind of person who saw things from other people's point of view, he might have conceded that he hadn't given her much of a show. The food-summoning incident was a disaster, his blessing of the spear went largely unnoticed (twice!), and his current ability to detect evil was entirely invisible. But, he was not that kind of person.
"Did you see me watering my herb garden this morning, or setting out my dingle dangles? No, you did not! For Pelagia's gifts flow into me every midnight, without effort or consent. These are all external props and crutches, more akin to a wizard's spellbooks and arcane trinkets."
He hoists his oar high in the air, as if to ward off evil spirits, and then advances to the door. He rapps against the green portal with the broad, sigil-adorned head, awaiting the crone's answer.
"Did you see me watering my herb garden this morning, or setting out my dingle dangles? No, you did not! For Pelagia's gifts flow into me every midnight, without effort or consent. These are all external props and crutches, more akin to a wizard's spellbooks and arcane trinkets."
He hoists his oar high in the air, as if to ward off evil spirits, and then advances to the door. He rapps against the green portal with the broad, sigil-adorned head, awaiting the crone's answer.
Aug 7, 2024 9:15 pm
Dufgal visibly winces as Lady Anora casts her disparaging comments upon the lawn of the crone. It pained him as he was just fantasizing a future yard of his own with just such trinkets, ornaments, baubles, etc. He had befriended many a crow in his youth and learned that the trinket trade was intricate and meaningful. The wizard's words were a dagger in his hopeful heart. He fell back a step to hide his face and then played it off like a smart thief thing to do.
Aug 7, 2024 9:29 pm
OOC:
Just checking, looks like Aldric has cast Detect Evil just before this, yes?Aug 8, 2024 12:58 am
"The people of Hirot, and I myself, have seen quite enough of your dingle dangle, wouldn’t you say?" Anora chides, but there’s a twist at the corners of her mouth.
She waits expectantly at the door for an answer from the crone.
She waits expectantly at the door for an answer from the crone.
Aug 8, 2024 6:38 pm
Standing before the Three Rats, one hand on Morgan's supposedly guiding forearm, Ty says, "Forgive my asking, Madam Haverson, but if you do not love the skald, then why come to this miserable place for him? Your father the innkeep does not stir from his inn; your uncle Dolsten keeps his chair." The broad and wispy skeins of affection that humans call compassion simply bewilder him. He can see the bodies up on the biers, through his blindfold, but they move him not a whit. His fate is simply luckier than theirs. So far.
The elf catches sight of Tocs and his grubby companion on the stoop, but does his best to seem as if he hasn't. Ty looks vaguely skyward throughout Morgan's account of Jenks and his crew, then makes to sniff the air. "A moment, large-breasted madam," he says gently.
Shuffling a step forward, Tyravasiel-Llir raises his voice and calls, "Is that the pungence of a Wee Tocs I smell?" A stretch, perhaps, but it'll have to do. "I'm told, Tocs, that here is a den of cutpurses and scoundrels. Are you one, or both?" No disapproval attends the words; if anything, Ty sounds amused by the idea.
The elf catches sight of Tocs and his grubby companion on the stoop, but does his best to seem as if he hasn't. Ty looks vaguely skyward throughout Morgan's account of Jenks and his crew, then makes to sniff the air. "A moment, large-breasted madam," he says gently.
Shuffling a step forward, Tyravasiel-Llir raises his voice and calls, "Is that the pungence of a Wee Tocs I smell?" A stretch, perhaps, but it'll have to do. "I'm told, Tocs, that here is a den of cutpurses and scoundrels. Are you one, or both?" No disapproval attends the words; if anything, Ty sounds amused by the idea.
Last edited August 8, 2024 6:41 pm
Aug 9, 2024 10:38 pm
OUTSIDE THE MAD WIDOW YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC, ANORA, DUFGAL)
Dufgal is quiet while his companions bicker in (mostly) good-natured fashion, but all conversation ceases when the third rap from Aldric's holy oar causes the green door to shudder and open a crack. All three watch as the portal slowly, creekingly, swings open. A warm and moist gust of mephitic wind blows from the hovel, carrying Ymae's croaking voice with it.
"Enter! Enter. And be quick about it!"
As Aldric and the others peer inside, they see a narrow and cramped passage lead into the heart of the place. Entering will require both stooping and stepping over the curving sill that the round door settles into when it's closed. Something burns within; cherry-red flames are visible in the gloom of the place, partly obscured as a dark figure rocks back and forth, busy at some task.
Pelagia's saliferous grace, such as it is, trickles on Aldric's skin, through his scalp, and in his bowels. He can feel that some level of danger lurks within this place, some malevolence. But it does not quite seem... fully present, at least not from where he stands. Perhaps going inside will offer more clarity around whatever it is that irks the Sea-Bitch...
Dufgal is quiet while his companions bicker in (mostly) good-natured fashion, but all conversation ceases when the third rap from Aldric's holy oar causes the green door to shudder and open a crack. All three watch as the portal slowly, creekingly, swings open. A warm and moist gust of mephitic wind blows from the hovel, carrying Ymae's croaking voice with it.
The Mad Widow Ymae
As Aldric and the others peer inside, they see a narrow and cramped passage lead into the heart of the place. Entering will require both stooping and stepping over the curving sill that the round door settles into when it's closed. Something burns within; cherry-red flames are visible in the gloom of the place, partly obscured as a dark figure rocks back and forth, busy at some task.
Pelagia's saliferous grace, such as it is, trickles on Aldric's skin, through his scalp, and in his bowels. He can feel that some level of danger lurks within this place, some malevolence. But it does not quite seem... fully present, at least not from where he stands. Perhaps going inside will offer more clarity around whatever it is that irks the Sea-Bitch...
OOC:
You'll have to go single file if you all go. Anyone entering, make me an INT-based skill check vs. DC10. It will be untrained for Aldric and Dufgal (so 1d10 + INT mod); Anora should throw a d20 + INT mod. (This is about arcane detecting.)Aug 9, 2024 11:17 pm
THE SIGN OF THE THREE RATS (TY AND MORGAN)
Walking along beside her taller companion, Morgan's brow wrinkles slightly as she lifts her skirts to avoid the mix of mud and shit that seems to surround the Sign of the Three Rats at all times. "I... wish to thank him for what he did," the girl answers after a spell. "And I certainly care for the man... I merely said I did not love him."
Then, when the elf makes yet another reference to the dark-hair girl's generous bosom, she grabs him by the arm and hisses at him as soon as he's finished calling out to Wee Tocs. "Why you're no more blind than I'm the Hound!"
"It is!" Tocs calls back, not hearing Morgan's hushed words. A grin on his roguish face, he continues, "And we are at that, Master Ty the beggar, both of them things, to a one!"
The other scapegrace speaks up, their voice, hoarse and strained "What's this, bring us a gift? A sweet to suckle?"
"Watch your tongue, Oleen the Imp!" Morgan calls back, "Or I'll put you over my knee like before!"
Morgan Haverson
Then, when the elf makes yet another reference to the dark-hair girl's generous bosom, she grabs him by the arm and hisses at him as soon as he's finished calling out to Wee Tocs. "Why you're no more blind than I'm the Hound!"
Wee Tocs
The other scapegrace speaks up, their voice, hoarse and strained "What's this, bring us a gift? A sweet to suckle?"
Morgan Haverson
Aug 10, 2024 4:00 am
Dufgal slips in last, taking inventory of the shadows should he need them.
Rolls
Int check - (1d10)
(10) = 10
Aug 10, 2024 10:24 pm
Aldric stoops and enters first, feeling Pelagia's inconvenient signal of potential danger within. He quietly signals to Anora (if she enters) and Dufgal to watch out for dangers most unnatural. He stands with his oar held like a staff, Pelagia's thrice- crested wave beaming outward.
"Thank you for your invitation and hospitality, wise-woman," he calls to her once everyone who wants to be is inside. His instinct beckons him to flatter her, but he knows that will be a waste of time, or perhaps even harmful. Better to shut up and follow her lead.
"Thank you for your invitation and hospitality, wise-woman," he calls to her once everyone who wants to be is inside. His instinct beckons him to flatter her, but he knows that will be a waste of time, or perhaps even harmful. Better to shut up and follow her lead.
Rolls
INT check (untrained, DC 10) - (1d10+0)
(3) = 3
Aug 11, 2024 10:03 am
Anora is more than ready to charm the woman, if it comes to that. If it comes to worst, she quickly recites her binding spell, so that she may tie the woman down if she turns on them!
"We had heard you are the wisest of those left in town…" Anora attempts at a compliment. In truth, Hirot has slim pickings at the best of times, and this was far from those times.
"We had heard you are the wisest of those left in town…" Anora attempts at a compliment. In truth, Hirot has slim pickings at the best of times, and this was far from those times.
Last edited August 11, 2024 10:07 am
Rolls
Int - (1d20)
(18) = 18
The Mad Widow Ymae
Aug 11, 2024 5:43 pm
The Mad Widow Ymae
"Strangers three, come to see lonesome me," Ymae's voice sounds in the shadowy distance as Aldric, Anora, and Dufgal all make their way into the widow's cottage. The thief sees as he moves inside that the daub fill in the walls, in-between the wooden lattice wattle, looks unusual. Commonly made from sand, dung, straw and other loose materials held together by clay or some other binding agent, the man sees that the hovel's daub is permeated with what looks like... hair.
Anora notes it as well as the priest leads the way through the narrow passage that connects the front door with the middle of the home, where Ymae awaits. But she further notes that this is no normal hair binding the daub together; rather it is infused with some kind of magic or mystical energy.
The witch -- for she must be so, Anora reckons -- says nothing in response to their greetings until the trio comes to stand in her workshop, such as it is. The ceiling is low, causing Aldric and Dufgal to stoop, and the sights and smells of the place are beyond overwhelming. Racks and shelves, piles and stacks -- the room is bursting with baubles and beads, feathers and dried plants. Jars of things pickled but still moving... bones and bits of decorative wood, draped fabrics, dried husks of rodents and huge roaches. The whole places seems much larger than should seem possible, but the mind is not given long to linger on that matter.
At the center of the space, near a lively fire burning in a pit at the center of the earthen floor, the so-called Mad Widow sits with spindle and distaff, spinning flames from that fire into what appear to be glowing, golden threads. She does not look away from her work as her guests come into the room, but a fat, mottled cat, perched high on a shelf, watches the trio with shining eyes.
"Tell me," Ymae says to Aldric she she spins, focused on her craft, "why you trouble yourselves with the village of Hirot and its doom? And why I should help you face something you do not even understand..."
The blessing Pelagia has graced Aldric with pains the man in this place. Little of it can be described as evil, but there is much that is... wrong, that is unnatural. The flames, especially, seem to swell the man's balls achingly, the closer he gets to the fire. There -- there something sinister does lurk, but it still seems distilled somehow, distant or veiled.
Aug 12, 2024 12:45 am
Anora keeps her face still, and focuses much of her energy on stopping her nose from wrinkling at the sights, sounds and smells of the place.!
Her brand of magick could be described as sterile, but Anora preferred to think of it as refined. Much as cities were built of stone, rather than held together with human hair, so too had magick weavers advanced beyond baubles and bottles.
Her brand of magick could be described as sterile, but Anora preferred to think of it as refined. Much as cities were built of stone, rather than held together with human hair, so too had magick weavers advanced beyond baubles and bottles.
Aug 12, 2024 3:14 am
The unassuming thief makes no effort at niceties as he enters. In fact, he actively pretends that he is invisible, except to the cat. He knows the cat sees him, smells him, knows his nature. He knows that he won’t be getting away with anything as long as the cat is watching.
So he does the only thing he can… he pets the beast. Gentle stroking of the head with a behind-the-ear scratch in the chamber if the gentle stroking goes well.
So he does the only thing he can… he pets the beast. Gentle stroking of the head with a behind-the-ear scratch in the chamber if the gentle stroking goes well.
Aug 12, 2024 3:14 am
The unassuming thief makes no effort at niceties as he enters. In fact, he actively pretends that he is invisible, except to the cat. He knows the cat sees him, smells him, knows his nature. He knows that he won’t be getting away with anything as long as the cat is watching.
So he does the only thing he can… he pets the beast. Gentle stroking of the head with a behind-the-ear scratch in the chamber if the gentle stroking goes well.
So he does the only thing he can… he pets the beast. Gentle stroking of the head with a behind-the-ear scratch in the chamber if the gentle stroking goes well.
Aug 12, 2024 3:25 am
Aldric speaks plainly. He has the sense she can smell bullshit a league away. Though he did not know what danger his spell was detecting, the magnitude spoke to her strength.
"It was not our intention to intercede. We are merely running an errand for profit, to raise money for my Temple. But, Pelagia spoke to me, and told me she hates this beast. It is of the moon, and she hates the moon. And so, as her sole agents in this land, we must now act."
Well, it was more or less the truth. By Pelagia's hairy sea cave, he needed to piss!
"It was not our intention to intercede. We are merely running an errand for profit, to raise money for my Temple. But, Pelagia spoke to me, and told me she hates this beast. It is of the moon, and she hates the moon. And so, as her sole agents in this land, we must now act."
Well, it was more or less the truth. By Pelagia's hairy sea cave, he needed to piss!
Aug 12, 2024 3:47 am
Realizing he didn't much answer the second part of the question - the why should I help you part - he adds "Dirty work is always best done by others, yes? Your reasons to have us do this work for you are your own. We simply want to get the job done, and spread the Bitch Queen's good name in the process."
Last edited August 12, 2024 4:30 am
The Mad Widow Ymae
Aug 12, 2024 7:45 am
INSIDE THE MAD WIDOW YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC, ANORA, DUFGAL)
"So it was coin that first motivated you," Ymae says with what seems like satisfaction after Aldric explains, then adds, "and now you've encountered a horror that your intemperate and unpredictable goddess insists be put down. Pelagia's will be done!"
Finally turning, watching as one of her guests attempts to pet the cat, and another remains quiet despite the judgements reflecting in her eyes, the old woman ceases spinning for a moment as she looks finally at the bedraggled priest.
"I have no desire for you to do this work, or any other! This place is full of wretches, many of whom deserve what the Fates have in store!" When a mild and strangely compassionate expression crosses the craggy, heavily lined features of Ymae's face, she amends, "Not all of them... but most. And most certainly some. The idiot Justicar has that right at least, if nothing else."
Licking her dry lips, the crone's watery, yellow eyes flick from person to person as she continues. "This is no mere mortal beast that haunts Hirot, know that. No, tis a primordial chaos spirit! A spiteful, hateful thing born in the reeking depths of the Áereth, long before man or woman trod its fields and vales. They roamed these lands, such spirits, until the hardy folk who once worshipped them hunted them, slew them, drove them away. It's been generations since one has been seen... this Hound? It's ancient, and it's been loosed upon the land somehow."
Starting to spin her glowing thread again, she hums a moment, then smiles. "Your implements and methods are insufficient to stand against such a beast... which only reforms should you manage a killing blow. Surely the watchmen who aren't dead have told you this. You need to bind the thing in its lair, and strike it true with a spell-graced weapon. Only then will the beast go howling back whence it came."
The Mad Widow Ymae
Finally turning, watching as one of her guests attempts to pet the cat, and another remains quiet despite the judgements reflecting in her eyes, the old woman ceases spinning for a moment as she looks finally at the bedraggled priest.
"I have no desire for you to do this work, or any other! This place is full of wretches, many of whom deserve what the Fates have in store!" When a mild and strangely compassionate expression crosses the craggy, heavily lined features of Ymae's face, she amends, "Not all of them... but most. And most certainly some. The idiot Justicar has that right at least, if nothing else."
Licking her dry lips, the crone's watery, yellow eyes flick from person to person as she continues. "This is no mere mortal beast that haunts Hirot, know that. No, tis a primordial chaos spirit! A spiteful, hateful thing born in the reeking depths of the Áereth, long before man or woman trod its fields and vales. They roamed these lands, such spirits, until the hardy folk who once worshipped them hunted them, slew them, drove them away. It's been generations since one has been seen... this Hound? It's ancient, and it's been loosed upon the land somehow."
Starting to spin her glowing thread again, she hums a moment, then smiles. "Your implements and methods are insufficient to stand against such a beast... which only reforms should you manage a killing blow. Surely the watchmen who aren't dead have told you this. You need to bind the thing in its lair, and strike it true with a spell-graced weapon. Only then will the beast go howling back whence it came."
OOC:
Dufgal, make a Luck check, please.Aug 12, 2024 2:07 pm
Tyravasiel-Llir stares at the vacant air a few inches to the right of Morgan's head. His lips press together in a prim line of disapproval.
"Madam, even a blind man can tell that your bosom is remarkable. The gods themselves whisper of your nipples upon the wind." The beggar's head cants, as if he can hear those deities giggling to one another even now. "You will go farther not questioning how I know what I know."
Then he turns and continues his tottering progress towards Tocs and his grubby fellow, grinning back at the boy's reply. "Give me an honest cutpurse over a dishonest Jarl any day. You are well met, young Master Tocs! It may be that I have another small piece of business for you."
The elf begins to fumble about his rags, making a show of feeling blindly for his meager coin purse. "I am made to understand that within your den there-" Ty jerks his chin at the door behind Tocs- "lurks a skald named Lloré, surely known to you. I want you to fish him out for me, and deliver him to the yard behind the Three Rats, there to meet Morgan Haverson, whom I believe the skald finds to be as sweet as your filthy companion does."
Tyravasiel pauses and then adds, still smiling merrily, "If the inn matches the stoop, then it is no place for Madam Morgan. Spare her the company of more dodgers like yourself, and I'll toss you a bit of coin. Quick and simple work for quick reward."
"Madam, even a blind man can tell that your bosom is remarkable. The gods themselves whisper of your nipples upon the wind." The beggar's head cants, as if he can hear those deities giggling to one another even now. "You will go farther not questioning how I know what I know."
Then he turns and continues his tottering progress towards Tocs and his grubby fellow, grinning back at the boy's reply. "Give me an honest cutpurse over a dishonest Jarl any day. You are well met, young Master Tocs! It may be that I have another small piece of business for you."
The elf begins to fumble about his rags, making a show of feeling blindly for his meager coin purse. "I am made to understand that within your den there-" Ty jerks his chin at the door behind Tocs- "lurks a skald named Lloré, surely known to you. I want you to fish him out for me, and deliver him to the yard behind the Three Rats, there to meet Morgan Haverson, whom I believe the skald finds to be as sweet as your filthy companion does."
Tyravasiel pauses and then adds, still smiling merrily, "If the inn matches the stoop, then it is no place for Madam Morgan. Spare her the company of more dodgers like yourself, and I'll toss you a bit of coin. Quick and simple work for quick reward."
Aug 12, 2024 3:49 pm
At the mention of a "spell-graced weapon", Dufgal cannot hold his tongue. He blurts out to his crew, still not engaging the witch.
"There is such a weapon! Buried ‘neath the ground in an ol’ king’s tomb north of town! The skald tol’ us so!"
"There is such a weapon! Buried ‘neath the ground in an ol’ king’s tomb north of town! The skald tol’ us so!"
Rolls
Luck vs. 10 - (1d20)
(13) = 13
Aug 13, 2024 1:19 am
Anora stifles a rolling of the eyes, when gets another mouth professes Pelagia’s will and its need to be done.
"Perhaps you might regale us with the sins of the people of Hirot then? The tavern girl, who narrowly escaped her fate last night. And the poor sod that used to live in the hovel across the way, and all the rest of the lowly folk that have gone before.
Have any of the highborn been selected yet?" she says, trying to keep her voice even and factual, rather than barbed and venomous.
"Perhaps you might regale us with the sins of the people of Hirot then? The tavern girl, who narrowly escaped her fate last night. And the poor sod that used to live in the hovel across the way, and all the rest of the lowly folk that have gone before.
Have any of the highborn been selected yet?" she says, trying to keep her voice even and factual, rather than barbed and venomous.
Aug 13, 2024 4:06 am
THE SIGN OF THE THREE RATS (TY AND MORGAN)
Morgan reddens, then crosses her arms in front of her chest as the wind blows, and as Ty turns his mysterious senses and otherworldly attentions towards Wee Tocs.
Embarrassed, she is quiet as the two converse, and as a bargain begins to be struck.
"Yeah, yeah he's upstairs, best roomn'the house," the little rogue responds.
"It's a long way, up there 'an down. 'Ow much? Oh, and extra for me to keep quiet if I run into Jenks, right? You don't want his nose in this business."
Morgan Haverson
Embarrassed, she is quiet as the two converse, and as a bargain begins to be struck.
Wee Tocs
"It's a long way, up there 'an down. 'Ow much? Oh, and extra for me to keep quiet if I run into Jenks, right? You don't want his nose in this business."
The Mad Widow Ymae
Aug 13, 2024 4:16 am
INSIDE THE MAD WIDOW YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC, ANORA, DUFGAL)
Ymae turns and puts a glowering, bloodshot eye on Anora when the woman finally speaks up, and it looks like the witch is about to respond in turn when suddenly Dufgal is blurting what he is. He is also reaching up to pet the cat as he reveals what the bard told him, but rather than fur, his hand strokes coarse and bristly, twitching hairs... and what feels like... chitin?
There's a sound from the cat and a flurry of motion which sets the Widow off.
"KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF! DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING IN MY HOME!" she shouts at the man, pointing at him with her spindle, spitting a mist of droplets into the room as she barks at Dufgal, furious!
The Mad Widow Ymae
There's a sound from the cat and a flurry of motion which sets the Widow off.
"KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF! DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING IN MY HOME!" she shouts at the man, pointing at him with her spindle, spitting a mist of droplets into the room as she barks at Dufgal, furious!
Rolls
Chomp vs. AC 12 - (1d20+1)
(1) + 1 = 2
The Mad Widow Ymae
Aug 13, 2024 4:19 am
The Mad Widow Ymae
"IDIOT!" Ymae growls, stepping away from the fire, moving towards Dufgal at a lurch. Alric sees from his vantage that the woman is barefoot beneath her ragged shift, and that her plump and fleshy toes are swollen and discolored, looking more like like tiny, bruised crabapples than digits.
"You've upset him! Out, boy -- get out!"
Rolls
Fumble Result - (1d4)
(2) = 2
DEX vs. DC 10 - (1d20+1)
(9) + 1 = 10
Aug 13, 2024 5:22 am
Anora’s hand goes to the hilt of the sword on her hip, as the woman explodes in anger and marches on Dufgal.
She steps between the thief and the crone and puts a commanding hand up for her to cease her advance. Once she’s sure that the crone is unable to get at the man easily, she turns and gives him a small nod; indicating that he can leave if he so wishes.
"Perhaps you are right." Anora starts softly. "This town is full of anger, and misery. I can count on one hand the number of people I have met that are not consumed by fury…" she says, wondering suddenly if the death of the beast might require the death of the town. One fed the other, in more ways than one.
She steps between the thief and the crone and puts a commanding hand up for her to cease her advance. Once she’s sure that the crone is unable to get at the man easily, she turns and gives him a small nod; indicating that he can leave if he so wishes.
"Perhaps you are right." Anora starts softly. "This town is full of anger, and misery. I can count on one hand the number of people I have met that are not consumed by fury…" she says, wondering suddenly if the death of the beast might require the death of the town. One fed the other, in more ways than one.
Aug 13, 2024 5:24 am
Dufgal, still quite unremarkable if not invisible he’s sure, looks at the "cat" and over his shoulder as if the volatile crone is addressing her pet or another offender. After all, how could petting a cat ever be upsetting? He does not leave, but he makes sure his face looks as dumb as a post.
The Mad Widow Ymae
Aug 14, 2024 4:01 am
The Mad Widow Ymae
"You threaten to draw a weapon here, in my abode? After I invited your friend here? After he approached me for help?"
The inside of the hovel seems to shudder as the two women face-off. Tiny amounts of dust and debris falls from the ceiling; glass tinkles, wooden charms and trinkets rattle. A large set of leather-bound, hand-scribed books shifts, nearly falling from their shelves, and the interloping wizardess can sense the magic in the air, the energies building around Ymae.
"I see you are a practitioner yourself. An apprentice or abecedarian or the like, yes? Witness, Anora the Blue, wild and true magic!"
OOC:
I'm conscious we haven't heard from Aldric in a bit, so leaving room here for his input as well as Anora's response.Depending on how this goes, anyone not wanting to be caught flat-footed if there's a throw-down -- please roll Initiative. (That will put us in combat rounds, but won't necessarily mean violence instantly erupts.)
Aug 14, 2024 5:41 am
Dufgal acts like he’s leaving but heads for the shadows.
Rolls
Dufgal: Hide in shadows (Agil) - (1d20+3)
(13) + 3 = 16
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(18) + 1 = 19
Aug 14, 2024 12:54 pm
"Much like the Jarl, you harangue your guests and call it hospitality." Anora says, keeping her eyes trained on the crone. Should the woman cease her advance, then Anora will make show of removing her grip on the sword. If not, she keeps her hand where it is.
Anora didn’t accept the behavior from the men who stink of the horses they ride, and she wouldn’t accept it from this woman who stinks of worse.
"Witness it?" Anora asks, taking an exaggerated look about the room. "I’d like to add to it! Pass me a jar! I believe there’s something stuck to the underside of my shoe. I must have trod through something’s dirt in the street…"
Anora didn’t accept the behavior from the men who stink of the horses they ride, and she wouldn’t accept it from this woman who stinks of worse.
"Witness it?" Anora asks, taking an exaggerated look about the room. "I’d like to add to it! Pass me a jar! I believe there’s something stuck to the underside of my shoe. I must have trod through something’s dirt in the street…"
Aug 14, 2024 10:56 pm
Ty peers into his coin purse with a disconsolate twist of the lips. What is the going rate to send an impoverished human child on a relatively simple errand? Extract of honeysuckle? Three lives of a beloved house cat? He has only these unimaginative bits of beaten metal that the humans chaffer about between themselves. If they were all melted down and cast into the statue of a naked Morgan Haverson, well then they might amount to something. But the humans just lay them up in locked chests, like clever squirrels.
"Young Tocs, I shall give you..." Coins clink through the elf's fingers. "...fully five? Of these pieces of copper, right now, should you venture in there and do as I've asked. And when you bring the skald to us in the yard, I shall add to them one moon-bright piece of silver. What say you to that?"
Surely that should be enough.
"Young Tocs, I shall give you..." Coins clink through the elf's fingers. "...fully five? Of these pieces of copper, right now, should you venture in there and do as I've asked. And when you bring the skald to us in the yard, I shall add to them one moon-bright piece of silver. What say you to that?"
Surely that should be enough.
The Mad Widow Ymae
Aug 15, 2024 1:27 am
The Mad Widow Ymae
Init Order: Dufgal, Aldric, Anora, Ymae
OOC:
Waiting on Aldric and Anora... are they basically waiting to see what Ymae is going to do? If they are, I'll just move Ymae ahead of them in the initiative order.Rolls
Initiative - (1d20)
(8) = 8
Aug 15, 2024 4:51 am
Aldric sees the situation careening toward violence. And to think, he was being so well behaved! Serves him right. He was so keen to find the Crone's answer, he suppressed his greatness, thinking she would be more willing, less intimidated. But this witch bitch needed putting in her fucking place!
" 'Ware yourself, Mad Widow! You think us not fit for your help? Then come test our motherfucking resolve!"
He raises his Pelagia-markes oar in the air and brings it crashing down as he calls upon the Bitch Queen's blessing! The oar crusts over in barnacles, Pelagia's symbol flares bright blue, and the air fills with the smell of a stormy sea.
" 'Ware yourself, Mad Widow! You think us not fit for your help? Then come test our motherfucking resolve!"
He raises his Pelagia-markes oar in the air and brings it crashing down as he calls upon the Bitch Queen's blessing! The oar crusts over in barnacles, Pelagia's symbol flares bright blue, and the air fills with the smell of a stormy sea.
OOC:
The spell check result of 19: The cleric receives a +2 bonus to all attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and spell checks for 1 turn.Last edited August 15, 2024 4:56 am
Rolls
casting blessing on oar - (1d20+1)
(18) + 1 = 19
Aug 15, 2024 10:23 am
Anora stands ready, a stern smirk on her face as Aldric garbles in his familiar way! The widow could get a taste of many a kinds of magick today, if she pushed her luck.
Aug 16, 2024 4:46 am
THE SIGN OF THE THREE RATS (TY AND MORGAN)
Morgan, having absolutely no concept of the positively scandalous thoughts running through Tyravasiel-Llir's head, looks hard at Wee Tocs, eventually placing her hands on her hips when she sees him hesitate, debating whether those coins would be enough for his trouble.
"It's a awful long way, alls the way up there," Tocs finally says in response, but he's getting up and working out a kink as he says it. "So tell you what, Master Ty, make that silver coin two and you 'ave yourself a deal. Five coppers, two silvers for your prize, then. Yeah?"
Haverson heaves a sigh ands shakes her head.
"For going up two flights of steps?! Don't pay him, Mister Ty. I can climb up, easy enough!"
Morgan, having absolutely no concept of the positively scandalous thoughts running through Tyravasiel-Llir's head, looks hard at Wee Tocs, eventually placing her hands on her hips when she sees him hesitate, debating whether those coins would be enough for his trouble.
Wee Tocs
Morgan Haverson
"For going up two flights of steps?! Don't pay him, Mister Ty. I can climb up, easy enough!"
The Mad Widow Ymae
Aug 16, 2024 5:38 am
INSIDE THE MAD WIDOW YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC, ANORA, DUFGAL)
There's nary a sound from Dufgal as he darts out of the room, seemingly chased away by Ymae's howl and rising anger. He doesn't see Anora stand-to and protect him; doesn't see the two women come face to face, and the warble in the air between them as magical energies build inside the hut. The outraged crone is about to light into Anora one way or another -- with her words or her curses it's hard to tell -- when suddenly Aldric is pounding his oar and swearing, commanding attention. If he was ignored before, and if he most assuredly will be ignored again, he will not be ignored now!
But as Pelagia answers, as her frothy sway trickles into Ymae's home, smelling of salt air, dead urchins and rotten seaweed, the witch jabs a finger at the bearded man and growls out a counterspell, a nasty bit of magic intended to unmake his oar!
"Not here, Bitch of the Sea! Not in my sight!"
There's a whole neat procedure to follow and we'll do it one step at a time...
The Mad Widow Ymae
But as Pelagia answers, as her frothy sway trickles into Ymae's home, smelling of salt air, dead urchins and rotten seaweed, the witch jabs a finger at the bearded man and growls out a counterspell, a nasty bit of magic intended to unmake his oar!
"Not here, Bitch of the Sea! Not in my sight!"
OOC:
Well, this didn't go as expected, but we got there! SPELL DUEL! It just so happens to be Aldric and Ymae who trigger it! Here's what the book says on p98.Quote:
Spell duel resolution: A spell duel is where one spellcaster casts a spell that is countered by a second caster, and the two proceed to throw spells until one dominates.
The Mad Widow Ymae
Aug 16, 2024 5:55 am
The Mad Widow Ymae
ROUND 1
Init Order: Dufgal, Aldric, Anora, Ymae
OOC:
Aldric casts 'Blessing' and Ymae counterspells with 'Tear' -- this initiates a spell duel between them. Both duelists set their Momentum to 0 and Ymae rolls her spell check -- which we will compare to Aldric's result. (Not I'm going to be lenient with regards to which spell counters another, btw.)After this is all resolved, it will be Anora's turn. Give us a minute, Anora!
Okay -- so Aldric wins and increments this Momentum tracker to +1. Add this to future spellchecks in the duel, Aldric! Since Ymae failed her check, she loses the spell as Aldric's goes off normally!
Anora is up!
Rolls
Spellcheck for Tear - (1d20+3)
(4) + 3 = 7
Aug 17, 2024 12:37 am
"CEASE!" Anora commands, suddenly throwing her arms wide, even inside a tight space such as this!
She feels the magical energies whirling around the room, and raises her arms as if she was floating upon a wave of the stuff.
"You will observe the laws of hospitality!" the woman commands, for it was the witch biting her thumb at the customs that caused Anora to reach for her blade in surprise. Anora brings her hands together in a clap as she utters the last word, sending pink dust bursting towards the witch!
She feels the magical energies whirling around the room, and raises her arms as if she was floating upon a wave of the stuff.
"You will observe the laws of hospitality!" the woman commands, for it was the witch biting her thumb at the customs that caused Anora to reach for her blade in surprise. Anora brings her hands together in a clap as she utters the last word, sending pink dust bursting towards the witch!
Last edited August 17, 2024 12:39 am
Rolls
Charm Person - (1d20)
(20) = 20
Aug 17, 2024 2:07 am
One silver coin? Two? Ten? What does the number matter to Ty? No metal stamped by man will still the relentless progress of the elfin lady who pursues him. No, not if he were to shower her with silver for a month on end. He has enough and more to fill his belly, to rest his head, and to keep one step ahead of her while he seeks a prize truly worthy of her immortal wrath.
But he seems to deliberate, for the humans' sake.
"Two silvers, at the end," he concedes at last. "One when you deliver my man, and one when our interview safely concludes. I won't have you making side-wagers to sell us out after you've fulfilled your bare bargain with me." The elf fishes out five coppers, cups them in his palm, and holds them forward.
"Is it a deal between us, then, young Master Tocs?"
But he seems to deliberate, for the humans' sake.
"Two silvers, at the end," he concedes at last. "One when you deliver my man, and one when our interview safely concludes. I won't have you making side-wagers to sell us out after you've fulfilled your bare bargain with me." The elf fishes out five coppers, cups them in his palm, and holds them forward.
"Is it a deal between us, then, young Master Tocs?"
The Mad Widow Ymae
Aug 17, 2024 5:40 am
INSIDE THE MAD WIDOW YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC, ANORA, DUFGAL)
Anora's commanding tones ring out inside that little, deceptively large hovel, and suddenly Ymae turns from where she is faced-off with Aldric and his mighty (and now blessed) oar. A look passes over the witch's features when the glittering dust sparkles in the air, and a smile slowly cracks her face, revealing a sticky, gummy, black-toothed grin that makes the strongest-stomached among the heroes shudder.
"You... vile... BITCH!" Ymae manages before a shudder shakes her to her core, flinging spit from her jowls and hairpins from her matted, steel-gray locks. Then, politely gesturing to a table against the wall no one had noticed before, she adds, still smiling eerily, "And it's lovely to have you visit. Please, sit. I'll brew you and your friends some tea!"
Elsewhere, Dufgal finds the nooks and crannies of the place quite confusing. Everything looks the same, and at once it all looks so different. A sound nearly makes the thief jump, and ahead on the ground between two tall stacks of books is the cat he tried to pat earlier. It's now purring, rubbing it's head on the edge of some map case, and eyeing the man in welcome fashion...
ROUND 2
Init Order: Dufgal, Aldric, Anora, Ymae
Dufgal, INT check vs. DC 12, please, to make sense of your environment... and not be lost in it.
The Mad Widow Ymae
"You... vile... BITCH!" Ymae manages before a shudder shakes her to her core, flinging spit from her jowls and hairpins from her matted, steel-gray locks. Then, politely gesturing to a table against the wall no one had noticed before, she adds, still smiling eerily, "And it's lovely to have you visit. Please, sit. I'll brew you and your friends some tea!"
Elsewhere, Dufgal finds the nooks and crannies of the place quite confusing. Everything looks the same, and at once it all looks so different. A sound nearly makes the thief jump, and ahead on the ground between two tall stacks of books is the cat he tried to pat earlier. It's now purring, rubbing it's head on the edge of some map case, and eyeing the man in welcome fashion...
ROUND 2
Init Order: Dufgal, Aldric, Anora, Ymae
OOC:
Top of the order. Dufgal is technically up first, but I think any of you can have at it. Your hostess now seems mild mannered!Dufgal, INT check vs. DC 12, please, to make sense of your environment... and not be lost in it.
Rolls
Will save - (1d20+3)
(16) + 3 = 19
Mystery Will Save - (1d20+2)
(14) + 2 = 16
Aug 17, 2024 6:56 am
Dufgal won’t make the same mistake twice. This time he plays the cat’s game and heavily ignores it. He does not ignore the map case though. He checks his cloak to see how well he could conceal this find and attempts to swipe it with a little misdirection.
As soon as the cat stops nuzzling the map case, he steps between it and the cat. In one hand he flashes his little hand mirror toward the cat, assuming that it will be mesmerized by seeing the image of another cat in front of it. The other hand curls its fingers around the case and folds it into his cloak.
As soon as the cat stops nuzzling the map case, he steps between it and the cat. In one hand he flashes his little hand mirror toward the cat, assuming that it will be mesmerized by seeing the image of another cat in front of it. The other hand curls its fingers around the case and folds it into his cloak.
OOC:
Burning 2 Luck to make that a bit more likely to succeed. OOC:
Sweet! Now that is a 15Last edited August 17, 2024 7:00 am
Rolls
Bearings - (1d20)
(15) = 15
Dufgal: Pick pocket - (1d20+4)
(5) + 4 = 9
Thieves’ Luck die - (2d3)
(33) = 6
Aug 17, 2024 6:58 am
THE SIGN OF THE THREE RATS (TY AND MORGAN)
A quick nod is all Wee Tocs offers as he comes forward, collects his copper, and makes for the side door of the ramshackle inn. While they wait, Oleen the Imp, swings their legs and chews some horrific country chew. Likely a pig part of some kind.
"You're funny lookin'," the waif says to Ty before spitting out a load of whatever it is they're chewing. But it's not the mealy-mouhted teen that Ty's unblind eyes see, it's the face in the window on the top floor of the inn. It's gone as soon as it appears, but there's no mistaking who it was, and who she was looking for.
Wee Tocs
"You're funny lookin'," the waif says to Ty before spitting out a load of whatever it is they're chewing. But it's not the mealy-mouhted teen that Ty's unblind eyes see, it's the face in the window on the top floor of the inn. It's gone as soon as it appears, but there's no mistaking who it was, and who she was looking for.
OOC:
Why this mean elf lady you're running from!Aug 17, 2024 5:42 pm
OOC:
Ahem. Was the Elf Lady in the window looking at Ty, or just looking out the window? Does he think that she's seen him?Last edited August 17, 2024 5:42 pm
Aug 17, 2024 11:04 pm
OOC:
Ty, it was just a glimpse, there and gone in an eyeblink. It almost looked more like a reflection than someone on the inside looking out, and it's hard to tell if she was looking in your general direction or straight at you.Aug 17, 2024 11:25 pm
INSIDE THE MAD WIDOW YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC, ANORA, DUFGAL)
Dufgal eyes the cat, then the map case as he retrieves his mirror. Presenting it to the feline, he hopes to distract the little beast so he can abscond with the maps, but he's startled when the cat yowls, leaps back like it's been burned, and scrambles away -- a blur of fur and too many legs. Some of which looked like... insect limbs?
Suddenly alone in the stacks, the thief retrieves the large folio unseen, tucking it away for safe keeping.
Dufgal eyes the cat, then the map case as he retrieves his mirror. Presenting it to the feline, he hopes to distract the little beast so he can abscond with the maps, but he's startled when the cat yowls, leaps back like it's been burned, and scrambles away -- a blur of fur and too many legs. Some of which looked like... insect limbs?
Suddenly alone in the stacks, the thief retrieves the large folio unseen, tucking it away for safe keeping.
Aug 18, 2024 5:47 am
For a moment, Anora thinks the spell won’t take, as the witch spits venom. A moment later, and Anora is painting a friendly face on to match Ymae’s!
"Oh, please don’t trouble yourself on our account, Ymae. Aldric here is particular about his liquids, you remember!" she says, waving a hand over to the cleric.
"We came to speak about this business with the Hound, and what might be done about it!"
"Oh, please don’t trouble yourself on our account, Ymae. Aldric here is particular about his liquids, you remember!" she says, waving a hand over to the cleric.
"We came to speak about this business with the Hound, and what might be done about it!"
Last edited August 18, 2024 5:48 am
Aug 18, 2024 8:01 pm
Ty goes pale.
Run, murmurs the quickened beat of his heart. Run. He should leave Morgan Haverson, leave his companions, leave Hirot to its plight and just run. North or south, east or west, it didn't matter; he just had to put miles between himself and that face of vengeance in the window. As many miles as he could.
But a second thought strikes him: perhaps the Dark Lady didn't see him. Doesn't know he's here, disguised by his beggar's weeds. If so, then abject flight my give him away and quicken her pursuit. If so, then he should lay low and pray she passes on, thinking he's still somewhere ahead of her. Then Ty could double back and have all the world before him...
The elf takes a shuddering breath.
With deceptive calm and a very, very soft voice, he says, "We should move to the back yard, madam, to meet the skald. There we shall be secluded from the eyes of thegns and cutpurses alike." And from those of immortal wrath, he silently prays.
Taking the human maiden by the arm-- forgetting, in his distress, that he is meant to be blind-- Tyravasiel-Llir starts around the side of the Three Rats, into the yard that it shares with the surrounding structures.
Run, murmurs the quickened beat of his heart. Run. He should leave Morgan Haverson, leave his companions, leave Hirot to its plight and just run. North or south, east or west, it didn't matter; he just had to put miles between himself and that face of vengeance in the window. As many miles as he could.
But a second thought strikes him: perhaps the Dark Lady didn't see him. Doesn't know he's here, disguised by his beggar's weeds. If so, then abject flight my give him away and quicken her pursuit. If so, then he should lay low and pray she passes on, thinking he's still somewhere ahead of her. Then Ty could double back and have all the world before him...
The elf takes a shuddering breath.
With deceptive calm and a very, very soft voice, he says, "We should move to the back yard, madam, to meet the skald. There we shall be secluded from the eyes of thegns and cutpurses alike." And from those of immortal wrath, he silently prays.
Taking the human maiden by the arm-- forgetting, in his distress, that he is meant to be blind-- Tyravasiel-Llir starts around the side of the Three Rats, into the yard that it shares with the surrounding structures.
The Mad Widow Ymae
Aug 19, 2024 4:19 am
INSIDE THE MAD WIDOW YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC, ANORA, DUFGAL)
"It's no trouble, Anora, it's no trouble at all!" Ymae says as she sets a black kettle to eventual boiling. When the woman in blue mentions Aldric, the crone bounces her wiry eyebrows, wiggling them at the man.
"I was so hoping he would come," she says beneath her fetid breath, quiet but loud enough for all to hear. But then, when Anora asks after The Hound, the old woman sighs.
"Well... before your arrival, I would have said that Hirot was doomed. That every living soul in the village would be torn limb from bloody limb by that horror. My wards protect me -- magical thread in the clay walls, you see -- but no one else here is afforded that aegis. But, ah, with you and yours, Anora and Aldric, even that cur you brought with you here and the elf masquerading as a blind beggar... there may yet be hope."
She goes on, lining up the mugs and crushing tea leaves with a mortar and pestle.
"As I said before, the Hound of Hirot is no normal wolf, or animal. It's an ancient spirit, a chaos daemon of the sort that the primitive folk who used to infest these hills worshipped. These spirits were faced and defeated by the savage kings that routed those peoples, and tamed these lands. Legends tell of Ulfheonar, the greatest of them, drawing one to his tomb and trapping it there even in his death."
Pouring the hot water and bringing the tea, the crone finishes. "I have tried to scry the reasons that this demon-dog haunts us, but the mists are thick. It may simply be that after all these years, that thing found its way out of the tomb."
The Mad Widow Ymae
"I was so hoping he would come," she says beneath her fetid breath, quiet but loud enough for all to hear. But then, when Anora asks after The Hound, the old woman sighs.
"Well... before your arrival, I would have said that Hirot was doomed. That every living soul in the village would be torn limb from bloody limb by that horror. My wards protect me -- magical thread in the clay walls, you see -- but no one else here is afforded that aegis. But, ah, with you and yours, Anora and Aldric, even that cur you brought with you here and the elf masquerading as a blind beggar... there may yet be hope."
She goes on, lining up the mugs and crushing tea leaves with a mortar and pestle.
"As I said before, the Hound of Hirot is no normal wolf, or animal. It's an ancient spirit, a chaos daemon of the sort that the primitive folk who used to infest these hills worshipped. These spirits were faced and defeated by the savage kings that routed those peoples, and tamed these lands. Legends tell of Ulfheonar, the greatest of them, drawing one to his tomb and trapping it there even in his death."
Pouring the hot water and bringing the tea, the crone finishes. "I have tried to scry the reasons that this demon-dog haunts us, but the mists are thick. It may simply be that after all these years, that thing found its way out of the tomb."
OOC:
There's more still on this topic, but stopping to allow comments, questions, etc.
Morgan Haverson
Aug 19, 2024 5:00 am
THE SIGN OF THE THREE RATS (TY AND MORGAN)
Grabbed and pulled along by Ty, Morgan is startled and struggles to keep up with her long-legged companion as he makes for the yard behind the inn.
Wait, what is so urgent?! she means to say, but her words spill out differently -- in a voice not her own!
Your fae hunter a fresh trail has found
While you dally with wench and with Hound
If you desire our favor and more time to savor
The false chance of the draw you must confound
Morgan stops in her tracks at this utterance, her eyes wide as she draws a deep, bulging, distracting breath. "I... I do not know why I said that," she offers quietly, confused and perhaps not a little afraid as she looks up the the blindfolded elf.
Morgan Haverson
Grabbed and pulled along by Ty, Morgan is startled and struggles to keep up with her long-legged companion as he makes for the yard behind the inn.
Wait, what is so urgent?! she means to say, but her words spill out differently -- in a voice not her own!
Your fae hunter a fresh trail has found
While you dally with wench and with Hound
If you desire our favor and more time to savor
The false chance of the draw you must confound
Morgan stops in her tracks at this utterance, her eyes wide as she draws a deep, bulging, distracting breath. "I... I do not know why I said that," she offers quietly, confused and perhaps not a little afraid as she looks up the the blindfolded elf.
OOC:
Remind me, does Mean Elf Lady have a name? If not, should we go with something like Gavin Norman comes up with in his adventures? "Princess of Summer Sleep" or "Lady Frostwhisper" or "The Moon Maiden" or the like?Aug 19, 2024 10:43 am
"Magical thread in the clay?" Anora repeats back with some theatrical shock, hopeful that Dufgal is listening from some hidden nook, and goes about procuring some for the group in his own way…
"That is very clever! And powerful magic indeed!" Anora says, massaging the woman’s ego. As for her own ego, Anora had to admit that it was a fine bit of magic, if not a very selfish piece.
"Would a spell such as that be within the grasp of a novice?" she says, motioning to herself.
"That is very clever! And powerful magic indeed!" Anora says, massaging the woman’s ego. As for her own ego, Anora had to admit that it was a fine bit of magic, if not a very selfish piece.
"Would a spell such as that be within the grasp of a novice?" she says, motioning to herself.
Aug 19, 2024 3:58 pm
At the mention of Ulfheonar, the man in the shadows perks up. He takes it as a sign that they must go to this kings tomb. The skald must've been right. And now Dufgal had a map, not that he was sure how to make sense of one. Well, he hoped it was the map of the greater area. He so meant to be useful to the quest.
Then he hears the way Anora threw her voice in his direction when repeating the thing about the magical thread. Was she trying to suggest that he light the magical thread on fire? Or pull it as he walked away to unravel the hut like a sweater? Or something else entirely? He felt like asking, but dared not risk his cover. The tone in the room just changed in a very strange way. Dufgal had learned that when people suddenly start pretending to be nice to each other in a conflict not to trust it.
As he contemplates his next move, he fondles his garrote wondering what it might feel like to choke the life out of a human. Would it buck very much like a goat? Would it shudder in its last breath? He thinks to himself, this may not be a magical thread but it’s sure powerful.
Then he hears the way Anora threw her voice in his direction when repeating the thing about the magical thread. Was she trying to suggest that he light the magical thread on fire? Or pull it as he walked away to unravel the hut like a sweater? Or something else entirely? He felt like asking, but dared not risk his cover. The tone in the room just changed in a very strange way. Dufgal had learned that when people suddenly start pretending to be nice to each other in a conflict not to trust it.
As he contemplates his next move, he fondles his garrote wondering what it might feel like to choke the life out of a human. Would it buck very much like a goat? Would it shudder in its last breath? He thinks to himself, this may not be a magical thread but it’s sure powerful.
Aug 19, 2024 10:34 pm
Aldric was standing in his glory, staff all lit up and majestic, ready to kick some witch ass! And then, this Anora the Blue pulled the rug out from under him! Used her trickery to rope the Mad Widow into their doing. And now she was just running her mouth? His hand gripped the blessed oar so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
But, then again, she couldn't have done this without his Pelagic blessing utterly shocking and blinding the witch. Yes, that's correct. Her wizard tricks were only effective because of his powerful magic!
But, even in his deepest megalomania, a part of him couldn't help but realize what Anora had accomplished was both powerful and clever. Perhaps this was the doing of the divine magic coursing through his veins, forcing him to see truth. That made her both a potent ally and a potential rival ...
A part of him absorbed Anora's conversation with the Mad Widow, but another part of him questioned if some of these trinkets might be of use in their fight against the wrteched Moon beast- wards against evil spirits, perhaps, empowered in similar ways to her threaded walls?
"Knowledge is fine gift - you have lit our path. But there is much danger ahead. Be it fetish or talisman or potion brew, what magical aegis might you provide your friends to safeguard our quest?"
But, then again, she couldn't have done this without his Pelagic blessing utterly shocking and blinding the witch. Yes, that's correct. Her wizard tricks were only effective because of his powerful magic!
But, even in his deepest megalomania, a part of him couldn't help but realize what Anora had accomplished was both powerful and clever. Perhaps this was the doing of the divine magic coursing through his veins, forcing him to see truth. That made her both a potent ally and a potential rival ...
A part of him absorbed Anora's conversation with the Mad Widow, but another part of him questioned if some of these trinkets might be of use in their fight against the wrteched Moon beast- wards against evil spirits, perhaps, empowered in similar ways to her threaded walls?
"Knowledge is fine gift - you have lit our path. But there is much danger ahead. Be it fetish or talisman or potion brew, what magical aegis might you provide your friends to safeguard our quest?"
The Mad Widow Ymae
Aug 20, 2024 5:48 am
INSIDE THE MAD WIDOW YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC, ANORA, DUFGAL)
"Mmmm, mmmm," the wizened crone vocalizes as she brings tea to her two guests, though it is unclear if she is responding to Anora or Aldric. Perhaps both?
"Monsters like these cannot be easily killed. Three things you will need to be sure you can stop this horror. Only an enchanted weapon will slay it for true. You might wound, drive off, or even visit what you believe is death on the beast... but it will return. This we have seen here in Hirot, after poor Nothan struck a killing blow one night... and it returned the next. And on top of that, the Hound must be held firm, trapped, prevented from turning to mist or smoke. And then, finally... kill the devil where it lairs, to be certain of its undoing."
Walking back to her chair, hobbling along until she climbs into the seat, Ymae looks at Anora. A pleasant enough expression dwells in the Mad Widow's face, but when she grins, the other wizardess already knows the answer to her question.
"I could teach you such things, given time and further proof of your skill... but what would you trade me for such a treasure?"
To Aldric, she says, "The best I can offer you is manacles of silk, bindings woven from my thread. But again... a bargain needs to be struck, a deal made."
The crone's eyes linger on the priest as she licks her crusty lips. "It so happens I know of an equitable exchange. You have heard the smallfolk call me the widow, the mad widow? It is because I was robbed of my wedding night. My husband taken from me before he could be my mate."
A silence hangs heavy as Ymae pauses, then she continues, her eyes still fixed on Aldric.
"Give me that which I was denied," she says simply, rocking in her seat as the weight of her ask sinks in, "and I will make you your shackles."
The Mad Widow Ymae
"Monsters like these cannot be easily killed. Three things you will need to be sure you can stop this horror. Only an enchanted weapon will slay it for true. You might wound, drive off, or even visit what you believe is death on the beast... but it will return. This we have seen here in Hirot, after poor Nothan struck a killing blow one night... and it returned the next. And on top of that, the Hound must be held firm, trapped, prevented from turning to mist or smoke. And then, finally... kill the devil where it lairs, to be certain of its undoing."
Walking back to her chair, hobbling along until she climbs into the seat, Ymae looks at Anora. A pleasant enough expression dwells in the Mad Widow's face, but when she grins, the other wizardess already knows the answer to her question.
"I could teach you such things, given time and further proof of your skill... but what would you trade me for such a treasure?"
To Aldric, she says, "The best I can offer you is manacles of silk, bindings woven from my thread. But again... a bargain needs to be struck, a deal made."
The crone's eyes linger on the priest as she licks her crusty lips. "It so happens I know of an equitable exchange. You have heard the smallfolk call me the widow, the mad widow? It is because I was robbed of my wedding night. My husband taken from me before he could be my mate."
A silence hangs heavy as Ymae pauses, then she continues, her eyes still fixed on Aldric.
"Give me that which I was denied," she says simply, rocking in her seat as the weight of her ask sinks in, "and I will make you your shackles."
OOC:
Despite her beiong charmed, she's unwilling to give away her magic for free. I'm leaning hard on the 'jealous wizard' trope that's present in DCC. Basically, wizards generally do not share shit with one other!Aug 20, 2024 1:27 pm
It was all Anora could do to stop her face from blanching at the thought of what the witch was asking. The witch’s own bargain to Anora was momentarily forgotten, as the woman wrestles the muscles of her face into submission, so as not to offend their host.
Her stomach churning, and her mind whirring, she waits for Aldric’s answer.
Her stomach churning, and her mind whirring, she waits for Aldric’s answer.
Aug 21, 2024 1:23 am
Aldric is, for once, speechless. Once he overcomes the shock of the request, he realizes there isn't much he can do. Curse my animal magnetism and aura of sexual majesty!
But the blessed part of his brain is working stronger than his usual, self-inflated mind. "She wants to give us shackles by roping me into this ... union? But all the world is in shackles - some you can see and some you can't. And don't forget, the worst shackles are the ones Pelagia has you wrapped up in. Success here in Hirot will help to loosen that. Is there anything else that matters?
He looks at the crone and sighs. "Let me go outside and take a piss first."
But the blessed part of his brain is working stronger than his usual, self-inflated mind. "She wants to give us shackles by roping me into this ... union? But all the world is in shackles - some you can see and some you can't. And don't forget, the worst shackles are the ones Pelagia has you wrapped up in. Success here in Hirot will help to loosen that. Is there anything else that matters?
He looks at the crone and sighs. "Let me go outside and take a piss first."
Aug 21, 2024 1:47 am
Anora clears her throat, as Aldric makes his exit. She smiles at the witch, and then says:
"Are you sure you want one so old and infirm? Surely there must be another in Hirot that you’ve set your heart on?"
Another moment, and she gets to her feet!
"A big moment for dear Aldric, you understand! Let me go and talk with him!" she says, excusing herself and then slipping out after the man.
She advances on him quick and speaks low!
"Don’t be a fool, Aldric! Even now, Dufgal will be plucking some thread from the wall! Tell the witch you need some time to get your affairs in order, and promise to return! Say you couldn’t dream of it until the hound is put to bed! Say what you will…" she says. She throws her hands up.
Just don’t tie yourself to the witch so easily…
"Are you sure you want one so old and infirm? Surely there must be another in Hirot that you’ve set your heart on?"
Another moment, and she gets to her feet!
"A big moment for dear Aldric, you understand! Let me go and talk with him!" she says, excusing herself and then slipping out after the man.
She advances on him quick and speaks low!
"Don’t be a fool, Aldric! Even now, Dufgal will be plucking some thread from the wall! Tell the witch you need some time to get your affairs in order, and promise to return! Say you couldn’t dream of it until the hound is put to bed! Say what you will…" she says. She throws her hands up.
Just don’t tie yourself to the witch so easily…
Aug 21, 2024 3:04 pm
Daydreaming about traveling to new and exotic places in his recently acquired maps, Dufgal lost track of the conversation in the witch’s hut once it had become benign. He was imagining himself being tiny and exploring the maps as if they were the right sized actual places.
Then he notices Aldric and Anora leaving. Wait?! What!? Did I hide so well that they forgot about me? What do I do?
The thief barely informed his legs of his plan to stay put when he found them carrying him out right behind the Lady Anora. He arrived just as she was pronouncing what she thought he should be doing. His jaw slacked and his eyes glossed.
Then he notices Aldric and Anora leaving. Wait?! What!? Did I hide so well that they forgot about me? What do I do?
The thief barely informed his legs of his plan to stay put when he found them carrying him out right behind the Lady Anora. He arrived just as she was pronouncing what she thought he should be doing. His jaw slacked and his eyes glossed.
Aug 21, 2024 7:24 pm
"I do not know why I said that," Morgan Haverson murmurs, and Tyravaiel-Llir heaves a long-suffering sigh.
"I do," he says.
The Fates. Bitches of Law, as surely as the goddess holding Alaric's leash is the Bitch of the Waves. When Morgan spoke those words that weren't her own, Ty felt the tug of the Sisters' collar around his own throat. Perhaps his glimpse of the Elfin Lady in the window was their doing as well, a vision and warning of things to come.
Pelagia may oppose herself to the Hound, on the principle of ancient enmity between moon and sea; it seems the Three Sisters have opposed themselves to Sylle Ru's lottery, on the principle of Fate perverted. What must Ty do to appease them, and keep himself clear of Elfland's vengeance? Must he expose the fraud?
"When Wee Tocs returns, buxom madam, I must have a word aside with him," Ty explains to Morgan. "I fear that the matter of your village lottery box demands my attention, as much as the skald's fate demands your own."
"I do," he says.
The Fates. Bitches of Law, as surely as the goddess holding Alaric's leash is the Bitch of the Waves. When Morgan spoke those words that weren't her own, Ty felt the tug of the Sisters' collar around his own throat. Perhaps his glimpse of the Elfin Lady in the window was their doing as well, a vision and warning of things to come.
Pelagia may oppose herself to the Hound, on the principle of ancient enmity between moon and sea; it seems the Three Sisters have opposed themselves to Sylle Ru's lottery, on the principle of Fate perverted. What must Ty do to appease them, and keep himself clear of Elfland's vengeance? Must he expose the fraud?
"When Wee Tocs returns, buxom madam, I must have a word aside with him," Ty explains to Morgan. "I fear that the matter of your village lottery box demands my attention, as much as the skald's fate demands your own."
OOC:
I am fine with any title for Ty's pursuer. I would recommend something flowery and borderline nonsensical to humans. Like Mistress of the Ninth Blossom, or Dogwood Blood-Champion, or the like.Last edited August 21, 2024 7:26 pm
Aug 21, 2024 10:08 pm
Aldric laughs as he sprinkles on the witchcraft trinkets arrayed outside.
"Bind me, Anora? Ha! Nonsense. More likely she is to bind the ocean to her doorstep. The Witnesses of Pelagia are famous for taking women at every port and leaving behind a slew of children across the trade lanes. Nay, she shall have her moment of bliss, and then we are off."
"Now, I do not relish this task - in fact, it is a tremendous sacrfice - but I will do what I must to satisfy the demands of the Bitch Queen of the sea!"
"A great deed, quest, or service to a deity may also count as a sacrifice, at the judge’s discretion."
"Bind me, Anora? Ha! Nonsense. More likely she is to bind the ocean to her doorstep. The Witnesses of Pelagia are famous for taking women at every port and leaving behind a slew of children across the trade lanes. Nay, she shall have her moment of bliss, and then we are off."
"Now, I do not relish this task - in fact, it is a tremendous sacrfice - but I will do what I must to satisfy the demands of the Bitch Queen of the sea!"
OOC:
Hoping that this act will be looked upon by Pelagia as a "sacrfice" toward lowering her disapproval with him as per page 30:"A great deed, quest, or service to a deity may also count as a sacrifice, at the judge’s discretion."
Last edited August 21, 2024 10:09 pm
The Mad Widow Ymae
Aug 22, 2024 4:07 am
INSIDE THE MAD WIDOW YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC, ANORA, DUFGAL DEPARTING)
Ymae grins toothlessly at Aldric's comment about relieving himself but says nothing, instead saving her words for Anora.
"He is not so old and infirm as you think!" the woman cackles, shifting in her seat as she laughs. As she is leaving, going after Aldric, Anora glimpses a change in the witch. Flowers adorn the crone's hair, which is suddenly shining with youth. Wrinkles are smoothed, skin is blushed... and then another cackle shatters that glamour as Ymae's visitors depart.
Dufgal -- please roll Luck as you depart...
The Mad Widow Ymae
"He is not so old and infirm as you think!" the woman cackles, shifting in her seat as she laughs. As she is leaving, going after Aldric, Anora glimpses a change in the witch. Flowers adorn the crone's hair, which is suddenly shining with youth. Wrinkles are smoothed, skin is blushed... and then another cackle shatters that glamour as Ymae's visitors depart.
OOC:
Y'all take your time finishing up your discussion outside, and yepper, Len, sounds like Disapproval would go down by 1 if all... works out... as planned.😬Dufgal -- please roll Luck as you depart...
Aug 22, 2024 4:40 am
THE SIGN OF THE THREE RATS (TY AND MORGAN)
It is not long before the back door of the ramshackle inn opens and both Wee Tocs and Lloré emerge into the muddy, stinking yard. The outhouses, such as they are, smell like they haven't been cleaned since they were first dug, and Ty briefly wonders if all the dirt in the rear of the building is in fact night soil.
"Be careful crossing the seer and his master, they are petty, spiteful men," Morgan says before she goes to the skald, whose grin is wide as he runs to his healthy-figured and suddenly very body conscious friend.
"Morgan!" the man-bun-wearing-poet exclaims as he takes the girl into his thin arms, "You came!"
Morgan smiles as they embrace, but it is not hard to tell she is the less enthusiastic of the two, shrinking a little from his attentions. Once she's released, the girl speaks quietly with the man as Wee Tocs suddenly clears his throat and holds out his palm to Ty.
"As promised, and subtle as a shadow on a moonless night, I'd say. Three silver coins, aye?"
It is not long before the back door of the ramshackle inn opens and both Wee Tocs and Lloré emerge into the muddy, stinking yard. The outhouses, such as they are, smell like they haven't been cleaned since they were first dug, and Ty briefly wonders if all the dirt in the rear of the building is in fact night soil.
Morgan Haverson
Lloré
Morgan smiles as they embrace, but it is not hard to tell she is the less enthusiastic of the two, shrinking a little from his attentions. Once she's released, the girl speaks quietly with the man as Wee Tocs suddenly clears his throat and holds out his palm to Ty.
Wee Tocs
OOC:
I dig the Mistress of The Ninth Blossom!Aug 22, 2024 6:20 am
"There’s little fear of this one bearing you any children!" Anora says, batting away the idea with the wave of her hand! At least she hopes that was the case.
Seeing Dufgal coming out of the house looking rather innocent, Anora rolls her eyes and is suddenly more inclined to see the cleric back into the house!
"Away, and do your service to Pelagia! Dufgal and I shall see that the people of Hirot hear of your sacrifice!" she says, almost grabbing him by the shoulders and ushering him back in.
"Just procure some of the thread, Aldric!" she stresses. "Pluck it from the witches… nest yourself, if needs be!"
Seeing Dufgal coming out of the house looking rather innocent, Anora rolls her eyes and is suddenly more inclined to see the cleric back into the house!
"Away, and do your service to Pelagia! Dufgal and I shall see that the people of Hirot hear of your sacrifice!" she says, almost grabbing him by the shoulders and ushering him back in.
"Just procure some of the thread, Aldric!" she stresses. "Pluck it from the witches… nest yourself, if needs be!"
Aug 22, 2024 8:10 am
Not really focused on being concealed on his way out, Dufgal wonders whether the witch (or her cat) witnessed his exodus.
Last edited August 22, 2024 8:11 am
Rolls
Luck check (currently vs. 8) - (1d20)
(13) = 13
Aug 23, 2024 8:35 pm
Aldric finishes up his business. He does not register any mocking or sarcasm in Anora's tone - her words ran true with his idea of the sacrifice he was making, and he appreciated the acknowledgement. He doesn't bother to do up the string on his trousers, and begins singing a holy song as he girds himself for the work ahead.
"The waves are high, the waves are low
and our Mother will always know
The waves are high, the waves are old
and the bottom of the sea is oh so cold
The waves are high, the waves are home
and that is where we all will go
Sister wave, she carries me
Mother tide, she turns me up
Grandma storm, the bitch she is,
TAKES ME OUT TO SEA!"
It sounds like a sea shanty to all that hear him, and he marches back in with Anora's forceful arms at his back. He holds his staff erect - no, the oar, you dirty minded readers! - with Pelagia's twice-rolling wave still aglow. He presents it as an aegis for any unforeseen complications that might result from his action!
He forces himself to look upon the crone as he re-enters the hovel, and sees not an old Crone but a beautiful young woman! "Praise Pelagia!" he mutters under his breath, truly grateful for his godess's reprieve here, or so he sees it.
"The waves are high, the waves are low
and our Mother will always know
The waves are high, the waves are old
and the bottom of the sea is oh so cold
The waves are high, the waves are home
and that is where we all will go
Sister wave, she carries me
Mother tide, she turns me up
Grandma storm, the bitch she is,
TAKES ME OUT TO SEA!"
It sounds like a sea shanty to all that hear him, and he marches back in with Anora's forceful arms at his back. He holds his staff erect - no, the oar, you dirty minded readers! - with Pelagia's twice-rolling wave still aglow. He presents it as an aegis for any unforeseen complications that might result from his action!
He forces himself to look upon the crone as he re-enters the hovel, and sees not an old Crone but a beautiful young woman! "Praise Pelagia!" he mutters under his breath, truly grateful for his godess's reprieve here, or so he sees it.
Last edited August 23, 2024 8:35 pm
Aug 24, 2024 12:28 am
"Is every cleric so… gushing in their service, Dufgal?" Anora asks the rogue once Aldric has climbed back into the witch’s hovel. She felt better that the man did not feel like his arm was being twisted in the matter. She had done her bit…
Aug 24, 2024 2:36 am
In answer to Anora, Dufgal very matter-of-fact,
I’se never heard one so…. eager, milady. ‘E is unique in that.
His eyes follow Aldric, admiringly.
I’se never heard one so…. eager, milady. ‘E is unique in that.
His eyes follow Aldric, admiringly.
Aug 24, 2024 2:41 am
"Has the man uttered a dry word since your meeting?" Anora asks, with some genuine curiosity in her voice.
"I haven’t seen the man pass a moment without mentioning the sea! It borders on the fanatic, don’t you think?"
"I haven’t seen the man pass a moment without mentioning the sea! It borders on the fanatic, don’t you think?"
Aug 24, 2024 5:46 am
Dufgal feigns to assume that he and Anora are bantering and risks a jest.
’E’s wet as a heifer in heat.
And then immediately regrets being that familiar.
’E’s wet as a heifer in heat.
And then immediately regrets being that familiar.
Aug 24, 2024 6:00 am
OOC:
No pressure to wrap up, but curious if Anora and Dufgal are planning to wait outside the hovel... or set their sights somewhere else? The folio remains unchecked, for example.Aug 24, 2024 2:20 pm
Not that Dufgal is unused to or uncomfortable with the sound of animal coitus, but he senses the unspoken understanding between he and Anora and starts walking back towards the tavern. He checks to see that she is looking in his direction to both confirm that they have the same idea and also to give her a glimpse of the leather bound filchings.
Aug 24, 2024 6:39 pm
Ty quirks his lips. The human child is trying to cheat his way into a third bit of beaten metal? So be it. But let him earn it.
"Two at the end, young Master Tocs. I can hear perfectly well that the parlay continues." He gestures in the direction of Morgan and her devotee. "When we're safely clear of your rat hole, you'll have your full payment. However, by way of earnest..." Ty fishes a silver coin from his pouch. He bobs it about in the air, pretending to fumble for the boy's palm, which he trusts that Tocs will position beneath the piece in order to receive it.
"Now, if you would like two more of those rather than one, as agreed, you'll answer for me the question you left hanging the other night. Why, Tocs most Wee, do you believe that your village's lottery is rigged? What evidence do you have of it?"
"Two at the end, young Master Tocs. I can hear perfectly well that the parlay continues." He gestures in the direction of Morgan and her devotee. "When we're safely clear of your rat hole, you'll have your full payment. However, by way of earnest..." Ty fishes a silver coin from his pouch. He bobs it about in the air, pretending to fumble for the boy's palm, which he trusts that Tocs will position beneath the piece in order to receive it.
"Now, if you would like two more of those rather than one, as agreed, you'll answer for me the question you left hanging the other night. Why, Tocs most Wee, do you believe that your village's lottery is rigged? What evidence do you have of it?"
Aug 26, 2024 6:59 am
THE MAD WIDOW YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC; ANORA & DUFGAL DEPARTING)
Anora and Dufgal make their way to the Sign of the Wolf-Spear, walking across the market as Ymae smiles and takes Aldric by the hand, leading him deeper into a fever dream, into a reality where the truths he knows bend and fold and split, where his senses seem to leave his body and observe the proceedings from afar...
Anora and Dufgal make their way to the Sign of the Wolf-Spear, walking across the market as Ymae smiles and takes Aldric by the hand, leading him deeper into a fever dream, into a reality where the truths he knows bend and fold and split, where his senses seem to leave his body and observe the proceedings from afar...
OOC:
More coming when I'm not strung out from five con games over the weekend!Aug 26, 2024 9:48 am
"Shackles and a map?" Anora says with a raised eyebrow, guessing what might be held within. It was just as likely that the thing was filled with the mad ravings of old witch, but perhaps the Fates still kept one eye on the goings on in Hirot.
"The witch has paid a heavy toll for Aldric… The Pelagian." she says, not knowing the man’s proper name.
"The witch has paid a heavy toll for Aldric… The Pelagian." she says, not knowing the man’s proper name.
Wee Tocs
Aug 27, 2024 7:07 am
IN THE BACK YARD OF THE SIGN OF THE THREE RATS (TY AND MORGAN)
Wee Tocs nabs the single coin when Ty offers it, flips it into the air so that he can catch it behind his back, then pockets the thing quick as that as Ty goes on.
"Well, 'es just obvious," the boy says. "No one the Jarl likes is ever named. Or Ru for that matter. Just people who had some gripe o'er the years, or who didn't like the sounds of the lottery at all, 'an spoke up about it." Glancing over his shoulder, Tocs adds, "Take your Morgan there. I'm told she wouldn't let the bastard paw her, and what happens? Well she's next, of course."
"But he picks, random-like, from that box," Oleen says from Tocs's side, squinting up at the elf. "'An tha' old prick of a priest verifies it."
Wee Tocs
Wee Tocs nabs the single coin when Ty offers it, flips it into the air so that he can catch it behind his back, then pockets the thing quick as that as Ty goes on.
"Well, 'es just obvious," the boy says. "No one the Jarl likes is ever named. Or Ru for that matter. Just people who had some gripe o'er the years, or who didn't like the sounds of the lottery at all, 'an spoke up about it." Glancing over his shoulder, Tocs adds, "Take your Morgan there. I'm told she wouldn't let the bastard paw her, and what happens? Well she's next, of course."
"But he picks, random-like, from that box," Oleen says from Tocs's side, squinting up at the elf. "'An tha' old prick of a priest verifies it."
Aug 27, 2024 7:40 am
THE WOLF-SPEAR (ANORA AND DUFGAL)
As they cross the market square, Dufgal and Anora note two things. First, a pair of the Jarl's Thegns are carefully carrying the voting-trunk down the raised lane of packed earth that leads from the town's great hall, and second... they note now just how stout a building the church of Justicia is. It, the Wolf-Spear and the Jarl's hall are easily the stoutest and most defensible structures in town. And in a village were precious few buildings have any panes of glass at all, the church has many gorgeous stained glass windows. The duo isn't close enough to make them out, but there are stories told in that colorful glass, they can see. Depictions of wolves and men fighting them, among other scenes.
Two brothers, monks, stand silently outside the church, watching the arrival of the lottery box as Anora and Dufgal duck into the Wolf-Spear
Broegan is quick to bring his guests beverages, though he walks with a limp and will for some time. He gives them privacy after that, which allows them to untie and open the leather folio.
Inside are age-old, yellowed pieces of parchment -- many of them. There's no single map that could properly be mounted on a wall, but easily half a dozen that can be pieced together that show the surrounding area around Hirot. Dufgal fits them together, and he sees the road they arrived on leading eastward back toward a civilization that now seems so far away... he sees a stream and wetlands, he sees forested areas and a mound of some sort not far from Hirot, to the north. The Tomb of Ulfheonar says the flowing script beside it, but the woman who can read that is distracted by other findings inside the folio.
There are loose pages from what appear to be much more ancient books. Formulas and rituals, details and depictions, illustrations and accounts... of means to contact and liaise with what appear to be powerful beings. It will take Anora time to study this material, to understand it, but she knows from a glance that these are very rare, very valuable pages.
As they cross the market square, Dufgal and Anora note two things. First, a pair of the Jarl's Thegns are carefully carrying the voting-trunk down the raised lane of packed earth that leads from the town's great hall, and second... they note now just how stout a building the church of Justicia is. It, the Wolf-Spear and the Jarl's hall are easily the stoutest and most defensible structures in town. And in a village were precious few buildings have any panes of glass at all, the church has many gorgeous stained glass windows. The duo isn't close enough to make them out, but there are stories told in that colorful glass, they can see. Depictions of wolves and men fighting them, among other scenes.
Two brothers, monks, stand silently outside the church, watching the arrival of the lottery box as Anora and Dufgal duck into the Wolf-Spear
Broegan Haverson
Inside are age-old, yellowed pieces of parchment -- many of them. There's no single map that could properly be mounted on a wall, but easily half a dozen that can be pieced together that show the surrounding area around Hirot. Dufgal fits them together, and he sees the road they arrived on leading eastward back toward a civilization that now seems so far away... he sees a stream and wetlands, he sees forested areas and a mound of some sort not far from Hirot, to the north. The Tomb of Ulfheonar says the flowing script beside it, but the woman who can read that is distracted by other findings inside the folio.
There are loose pages from what appear to be much more ancient books. Formulas and rituals, details and depictions, illustrations and accounts... of means to contact and liaise with what appear to be powerful beings. It will take Anora time to study this material, to understand it, but she knows from a glance that these are very rare, very valuable pages.
Aug 27, 2024 3:12 pm
uh, Lady Dufgal notices that the woman he was sitting with was not as excited about the map as he was. Yet, he can’t read it without her. He knew enough to know what the compass rose meant on a map but that was all. He always liked looking at them though.
I’se can’t read, see. pushing the carefully reconstructed pieces of the map toward her a bit.
’was told that the weapon we seek was buried in a tomb just north o’ the village.
I’se can’t read, see. pushing the carefully reconstructed pieces of the map toward her a bit.
’was told that the weapon we seek was buried in a tomb just north o’ the village.
Aug 28, 2024 2:32 am
Ty rolls his lips together and thoughtfully rubs his chin.
"Do the Jarl and his wizard ever show anyone the lot they've picked? Or do they just read out the name?" he asks.
It couldn't be that simple, could it? Have none of these yokels ever insisted on seeing the name written on the chosen chit? The lottery box could be filled with blank scraps of paper, or confetti, or small lizards, for all that it would matter. The blustery Jarl could simply dunk his hand in, pull out a lizard, and say whatever name he pleased. And Sylle Ru could then pretend to confirm it.
"Do the Jarl and his wizard ever show anyone the lot they've picked? Or do they just read out the name?" he asks.
It couldn't be that simple, could it? Have none of these yokels ever insisted on seeing the name written on the chosen chit? The lottery box could be filled with blank scraps of paper, or confetti, or small lizards, for all that it would matter. The blustery Jarl could simply dunk his hand in, pull out a lizard, and say whatever name he pleased. And Sylle Ru could then pretend to confirm it.
Aug 29, 2024 4:37 am
OOC:
and they’d have gotten away with it, too if it wasn’t for us meddling kids 😆
Wee Tocs
Aug 29, 2024 6:16 am
IN THE BACK YARD OF THE SIGN OF THE THREE RATS (TY AND MORGAN)
Tocs shrugs at Ty's suggestion, not looking too concerned by any of this. "They show 'em, though half the town can't read. The Jarl plunges his hand in and grabs a paper, he reads the name, then has the priest, Father Prick, verify it right then and there in front of everyone."
The boy shrugs. "I don't know hows they do it, but it ain't never a name the Jarl and Sylle Ru don't want."
Wee Tocs
Tocs shrugs at Ty's suggestion, not looking too concerned by any of this. "They show 'em, though half the town can't read. The Jarl plunges his hand in and grabs a paper, he reads the name, then has the priest, Father Prick, verify it right then and there in front of everyone."
The boy shrugs. "I don't know hows they do it, but it ain't never a name the Jarl and Sylle Ru don't want."
Aug 30, 2024 3:21 am
"Ah, so it's the Justician who verifies the name?" That must mean that the human priest is in league with the Jarl and his seer-- an unholy trinity if ever there was one. Ty imagines that proper priests must have little truck with magicians. Except of course for Father Aldric with Anora. And himself.
Better to abandon that line of thought.
"I would kill man-children to have a look in that lottery box," the elf muses. "Or maybe the priest can be made to squeak and chitter."
Better to abandon that line of thought.
"I would kill man-children to have a look in that lottery box," the elf muses. "Or maybe the priest can be made to squeak and chitter."
Dolsten
Aug 31, 2024 4:59 am
THE WOLF-SPEAR (ANORA AND DUFGAL)
As Dufgal and Anora sort through the musty, moldered findings from the folio, Dolsten edges closer to their table. Anora is nose deep in the strange pages that have captured her attention, but the villager can see that Dufgal is trying to piece together a larger map.
"May I assit with that, Dufgal?" the man says as he comes closer, clearly wanting to help, or perhaps talk.
Dolsten
"May I assit with that, Dufgal?" the man says as he comes closer, clearly wanting to help, or perhaps talk.
OOC:
No hurry here, KCC, we know you're occupied. Just giving Duf a little scene in the meantime.Aug 31, 2024 5:11 am
IN THE BACK YARD OF THE SIGN OF THE THREE RATS (TY AND MORGAN)
"You'd do what? Fuckin' kill a man-child?" Wee Tocs says, cocking his head, but at that same moment Morgan Haverson and Lloré approach, both stepping lightly to try to avoid the worst of the mud and the shit in the yard. It's not an easy task.
"My Lord!" Lloré says brightly, "Morgan says we have you and your friends to thank for the Hound being driven off last night! Is this true, sir, and if it is how did you do it?!"
Slightly behind the skald, Morgan struggles slightly to not roll her eyes at least a little as she lifts her skirts.
Wee Tocs
Lloré
Morgan Haverson
Aug 31, 2024 6:41 am
Anora hears the man, but struggles to pull herself away from the pages. Finally, with some effort, she takes up the pages and delicately into her own black grimoire for study later. She takes an additional moment as the information she had been able to glean on first examination fills her mind, and then she clears her throat.
"You’ve done well, Dufgal! You root out Hirot’s romances and secrets with equal skill! A keen eye, indeed!" she says, turning her attention to the map!
"No matter!" she reassures the man on the subject of illiteracy. "Given that your skills are more visual, Dufgal, I wonder if we might take a look at the church windows next time we pass?
This map is one piece, yes. Aldric’s burden will provide yet another and perhaps the church might offer some other wisdom."
If only on the exterior of the building… she thinks, knowing that those inside were quite dim.
"You’ve done well, Dufgal! You root out Hirot’s romances and secrets with equal skill! A keen eye, indeed!" she says, turning her attention to the map!
"No matter!" she reassures the man on the subject of illiteracy. "Given that your skills are more visual, Dufgal, I wonder if we might take a look at the church windows next time we pass?
This map is one piece, yes. Aldric’s burden will provide yet another and perhaps the church might offer some other wisdom."
If only on the exterior of the building… she thinks, knowing that those inside were quite dim.
Aug 31, 2024 6:42 am
Dufgal gladly welcomes Dolsten’s help. He pushes himself back from the table to make room. I’se guessin’ you’se knows it well
Dolsten
Aug 31, 2024 7:07 pm
THE WOLF-SPEAR (ANORA AND DUFGAL)
Dolsten just nods at Dulgal, then listens to Anora as she secures the materials she will undoubtedly read with great interest later.
In short order, the three of them have pieced together the old map:
Anora and Dufgal see the King's Way, the road they arrived on, the standing stones where Morgan was meant to be sacrificed, and tomb that Lloré mentioned to Dufgal. Fens and forest dominate most of the rest of the map, along with a river or stream.
"The church's glass windows do tell something of a story..." Dolsten offers, pouring over the map before his lips draw into a line.
Dolsten
In short order, the three of them have pieced together the old map:
Anora and Dufgal see the King's Way, the road they arrived on, the standing stones where Morgan was meant to be sacrificed, and tomb that Lloré mentioned to Dufgal. Fens and forest dominate most of the rest of the map, along with a river or stream.
"The church's glass windows do tell something of a story..." Dolsten offers, pouring over the map before his lips draw into a line.
OOC:
Personality Tests, please, you two -- vs. DC 10.Aug 31, 2024 7:45 pm
THE MAD WIDOW YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC, POOR ALDRIC)
The afternoon's activities for wayward Aldric are a different affair entirely.
It will be years before he can ever untangle the visions and memories of this time, if in fact he ever can... but there are disjointed images and sensations seared into his mind's eye. Glimpses of bare, sweat-slicked flesh. Dark faces looming and leering in the dark as two people work in what seems a tireless, almost panicked passion. Ymae is young and gorgeous and beyond willing at times, and old and wretched and scaly at others. He will remember her long, probing tongue in his mouth, her pendulous and shriveled breasts swaying to and froe, and also the arch of her back as she rode him, a slender beauty with flowers tangled all through her silver-gold hair. He would also remember spilling an absurd amount of his seed into the fire, guided by his lover's hand... and then coming to his senses outside her hovel, naked, his clothes bundled in his arms.
Before the sweat-soaked, breathless man stand two figures: Ymae, smiling and even more beautiful than she had been at times during their tryst, and a roiling, shifting figure comprised of smoke, flame, and darkness. That eerie figure stands behind the witch, and glowers with blazing eyes in such a way that Aldric can practically hear the thing shouting BEGONE!, but the Mad Widow places a hand on her tender bare breast as she regards the priest.
Her words are gentle.
"I thank you, Aldric, Warden of Pelagia. Return here at dusk for your reward."
DC 10 for the Personality Check, for reasons as yet unknown. If you hit 15, lower Disapproval by 1 more.DC 10 for the Fort Save. Failure means 1d5 attribute damage to STR, AGI, or STA. Unless you beat DC 5, you'll suffer that to all three.
The afternoon's activities for wayward Aldric are a different affair entirely.
It will be years before he can ever untangle the visions and memories of this time, if in fact he ever can... but there are disjointed images and sensations seared into his mind's eye. Glimpses of bare, sweat-slicked flesh. Dark faces looming and leering in the dark as two people work in what seems a tireless, almost panicked passion. Ymae is young and gorgeous and beyond willing at times, and old and wretched and scaly at others. He will remember her long, probing tongue in his mouth, her pendulous and shriveled breasts swaying to and froe, and also the arch of her back as she rode him, a slender beauty with flowers tangled all through her silver-gold hair. He would also remember spilling an absurd amount of his seed into the fire, guided by his lover's hand... and then coming to his senses outside her hovel, naked, his clothes bundled in his arms.
Before the sweat-soaked, breathless man stand two figures: Ymae, smiling and even more beautiful than she had been at times during their tryst, and a roiling, shifting figure comprised of smoke, flame, and darkness. That eerie figure stands behind the witch, and glowers with blazing eyes in such a way that Aldric can practically hear the thing shouting BEGONE!, but the Mad Widow places a hand on her tender bare breast as she regards the priest.
Her words are gentle.
"I thank you, Aldric, Warden of Pelagia. Return here at dusk for your reward."
OOC:
I'd like two rolls, please, Aldric: a Personality check, and a Fortitude Save.DC 10 for the Personality Check, for reasons as yet unknown. If you hit 15, lower Disapproval by 1 more.DC 10 for the Fort Save. Failure means 1d5 attribute damage to STR, AGI, or STA. Unless you beat DC 5, you'll suffer that to all three.
Sep 1, 2024 5:35 pm
Dufgal remembers the glass that he swiped from Dolsten’s place when he knew nothing of the man or his whereabouts. He tried to make his face neutral so as not to belie too much of his awkwardness.
Last edited September 1, 2024 5:35 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Personality - (1d20+0)
(6) = 6
Sep 1, 2024 9:59 pm
Aldric has been through the dark and perverse before, when the Bitch Queen took his soul as her own. The leering shadow-faces and pendulous glands were, in the light of those memories, tame by comparison. He took to his work without shame, for he had none, and without reservation, for Pelagia was always watching, and that was much scarier than all the other things in her hut combined. He fills the hovel with song and curse words like that of a seaman.
Once he finds himself outside, spent and naked, he holds his oar stiff and vertical. He wards against the second figure, whose power does trend against Pelagia's in an alarming way. Should his soul become entangled between the two beings, the battle for possession would surely leave him worse than dead, and he did not like that one bit. Swallowing hard, he attempts to extricate himself - always a difficult thing after bedding a woman, but never were the stakes so high!
"That is Witness, not Warden, Ymae. She sees all that I see," He says this as he throws on his robes. "Until sundown then!" As he moves, he realizes how withered his body is from this encounter!
Once he finds himself outside, spent and naked, he holds his oar stiff and vertical. He wards against the second figure, whose power does trend against Pelagia's in an alarming way. Should his soul become entangled between the two beings, the battle for possession would surely leave him worse than dead, and he did not like that one bit. Swallowing hard, he attempts to extricate himself - always a difficult thing after bedding a woman, but never were the stakes so high!
"That is Witness, not Warden, Ymae. She sees all that I see," He says this as he throws on his robes. "Until sundown then!" As he moves, he realizes how withered his body is from this encounter!
Last edited September 2, 2024 12:11 am
Rolls
PER check (DC 10) - (1d20+1)
(15) + 1 = 16
FORT save (DC 10) - (1d20+0)
(4) = 4
Damage! STR, AGI, STA - (1d5, 1d5, 1d5)
1d5 : (5) = 5
1d5 : (3) = 3
1d5 : (5) = 5
Sep 3, 2024 4:16 am
Beneath the coarse cloth that binds his eyes, Ty glances from Morgan to her would-be paramour. Then he tilts his head, as if locating Llore by the sound of his salutation.
"Driven off is a charitable choice of words, friend," Tyravasiel demurs. "We survived, while others did not. I claim no more. We have the Sea Bitch Pelagia to thank for our good fortune, I think, for the holy father who leads us--" Ty chokes a tiny bit on those words, but proceeds-- "is a cleric in her service."
The elf pauses, then says, "You are the Skald Lloré, whom Morgan Haverson came here to seek? When it comes to surviving where others have not, you are in a class of your own! How did you manage to elude the beast, there in the very place of sacrifice?"
"Driven off is a charitable choice of words, friend," Tyravasiel demurs. "We survived, while others did not. I claim no more. We have the Sea Bitch Pelagia to thank for our good fortune, I think, for the holy father who leads us--" Ty chokes a tiny bit on those words, but proceeds-- "is a cleric in her service."
The elf pauses, then says, "You are the Skald Lloré, whom Morgan Haverson came here to seek? When it comes to surviving where others have not, you are in a class of your own! How did you manage to elude the beast, there in the very place of sacrifice?"
Lloré
Sep 3, 2024 5:35 am
Lloré
"I am Lloré, yes, m'lord, and it was blind luck that spared me, have no lingering doubt. I was splayed on that rock, just as Morgan should have been! The Hound, when it came -- I bayed at it! Perhaps that alone was enough to unnerve the thing, since it was likely expecting some easy meal, trussed up by the Jarl and his men."
Sep 4, 2024 12:21 am
Ty nods along with the skald's tale, as if it's the most reasonable thing in the world.
"Indeed, sir. It's a shame that the fellows on the biers up there didn't think of the baying," the elf says. He has the good sense to wave in a more or less random direction, rather than toward the Sky Biers they passed earlier. "Now, you say you were trussed up on the sacrificial stone? Pray, Master Lloré, who did the trussing? And more importantly, who did the untrussing? The lady of your devotion and her uncle had fled by then, had they not? I've been confused on this point, but no doubt you can make it clear."
"Indeed, sir. It's a shame that the fellows on the biers up there didn't think of the baying," the elf says. He has the good sense to wave in a more or less random direction, rather than toward the Sky Biers they passed earlier. "Now, you say you were trussed up on the sacrificial stone? Pray, Master Lloré, who did the trussing? And more importantly, who did the untrussing? The lady of your devotion and her uncle had fled by then, had they not? I've been confused on this point, but no doubt you can make it clear."
Sep 5, 2024 3:38 am
Lloré
Shifting perhaps a little uncomfortably, he adds, "So when the monster passed me by, I was able to struggle free."
Morgan Haverson
OOC:
I think KCC is almost back in-pocket, so once he surfaces we'll convene the whole group!Sep 6, 2024 11:05 am
"And what story might that be?" Anora asks with raised eyebrow. She had wondered if Dufgal might make himself scarce to go investigate on her behalf, and so allow her to fish out the parchments she still saw at the fringe of her mind.
Still… an answer was an answer and this one might just fall into her lap!
Still… an answer was an answer and this one might just fall into her lap!
OOC:
Personality Test!Last edited September 6, 2024 11:07 am
Rolls
1d20+1
(16) + 1 = 17
Dolsten
Sep 7, 2024 1:55 am
THE WOLF-SPEAR (ANORA AND DUFGAL)
Dolsten, whose eyes Anora notes linger long on the map, and specifically on the tomb north of Hirot, blinks and looks up at the spellweaver.
"There are... scenes of battle. They depict the goddess of justice and mercy, Justicia herself... wielding a great hammer, battling a devil-hound."
Dolsten
"There are... scenes of battle. They depict the goddess of justice and mercy, Justicia herself... wielding a great hammer, battling a devil-hound."
OOC:
Anora, there's something up with Dolsten and the tomb. Hard to say what, but he's worried but it, agitated by it, interested in it... something.Sep 7, 2024 3:07 am
"And yet you presumed the beast would care whether you were tied or untied at all upon the sacrificial stone." Ty presses his lips together, as if puzzled, then seems to wave the thought away. "In any case. You free our Morgan here, then nobly, but loosely, bind yourself-- did you do the binding, friend, or was it Dolsten?-- bind yourself to the stone, to await your sure demise. But at the last extremity, inspiration strikes; you bark back at the hound, and off it bounds, leaving you to work free of your bonds and make your escape."
The elf rubs his chin. "Dolsten and Morgan must have fled for their own safety by then," he surmises. "It's a shame there was no one to witness your braving the beast but yourself. At least you are a storyteller, young sir, and can give a good account of it."
The elf rubs his chin. "Dolsten and Morgan must have fled for their own safety by then," he surmises. "It's a shame there was no one to witness your braving the beast but yourself. At least you are a storyteller, young sir, and can give a good account of it."
Sep 7, 2024 6:08 pm
IN THE BACK YARD OF THE SIGN OF THE THREE RATS (TY AND MORGAN)
Wee Tocs just watches and listens to this whole exchange with interest, but Lloré's face falls when Ty continues to pull at the threads of his tale.
"Sir, I am not sure I understand the intent of your questioning. After we freed fair Morgan, Dolston took her back to the village while I did my best to play the part of the sacrifice. I bound myself as best I could, but I was alone, and I am no sailor, no master of knots!"
Sniffing a bit, perhaps not noticing Morgan's eyes on him, the skald continues. "I was prostrate on that slab, and ready for the end, sir! When it did not come, it's true, I was alone. I said my blessings and thanked the fates for my fortune."
Wee Tocs just watches and listens to this whole exchange with interest, but Lloré's face falls when Ty continues to pull at the threads of his tale.
Lloré
Sniffing a bit, perhaps not noticing Morgan's eyes on him, the skald continues. "I was prostrate on that slab, and ready for the end, sir! When it did not come, it's true, I was alone. I said my blessings and thanked the fates for my fortune."
Sep 7, 2024 6:27 pm
The elf nods along with the skald in apparent sympathy.
"The gods must have chosen to smile upon your remarkable bravery," Tyravasiel conjectures. "After all, any other human would have shuffled out of those loose bonds as soon as Morgan and Dolsten were out of sight, and taken to his heels. What profit is there in facing a murderous beast, with none there to admire you for it? Or gainsay you, if you later choose to pretend that you have? I myself would have made an early escape. But I am a mere beggar, not a poet. Poets are made of sterner stuff, are they not?"
Ty just lets everyone sit with that idea for a moment. Lloré in particular. Through the blindfold, he watches the other man's reaction.
Then he lifts a shoulder. "You have my admiration, sir. And now, Madam Haverson, if you are done speaking to the hero, I would ask you to guide me back to your father's inn."
"The gods must have chosen to smile upon your remarkable bravery," Tyravasiel conjectures. "After all, any other human would have shuffled out of those loose bonds as soon as Morgan and Dolsten were out of sight, and taken to his heels. What profit is there in facing a murderous beast, with none there to admire you for it? Or gainsay you, if you later choose to pretend that you have? I myself would have made an early escape. But I am a mere beggar, not a poet. Poets are made of sterner stuff, are they not?"
Ty just lets everyone sit with that idea for a moment. Lloré in particular. Through the blindfold, he watches the other man's reaction.
Then he lifts a shoulder. "You have my admiration, sir. And now, Madam Haverson, if you are done speaking to the hero, I would ask you to guide me back to your father's inn."
Sep 8, 2024 3:17 am
AT THE MARKET SQUARE (ALL)
By the time Aldric gets his bearings, fully regains his senses and decides to make for the Wolf-Spear, two Thegns stand guard near the locked strongbox which has been set on the raised platform rather than the elevated pedestal -- which still needs repair.
In the town center, Anora, Dufgal, Ty and Morgan have also gathered, returning from their respective tasks at roughly the same time. The barmaid was keeping her opinions of Lloré to herself, the elf discovered, and she seemed not a little unsettled by the fact that the skald might not have taken her place after all, despite his continued claims that he did.
The sorceress and thief have packed up their maps and documents; they carry the witch's folio carefully as the priest staggers up to his companions...
By the time Aldric gets his bearings, fully regains his senses and decides to make for the Wolf-Spear, two Thegns stand guard near the locked strongbox which has been set on the raised platform rather than the elevated pedestal -- which still needs repair.
In the town center, Anora, Dufgal, Ty and Morgan have also gathered, returning from their respective tasks at roughly the same time. The barmaid was keeping her opinions of Lloré to herself, the elf discovered, and she seemed not a little unsettled by the fact that the skald might not have taken her place after all, despite his continued claims that he did.
The sorceress and thief have packed up their maps and documents; they carry the witch's folio carefully as the priest staggers up to his companions...
OOC:
You're gathered back in the market, at A2. The Jarl's hall is A10, the Wolf-Spear is A3, the Church is A4, the Sign of the Three Rats is A5. Ymae's is A6.[ +- ] Map of Hirot
Sep 8, 2024 4:07 am
Aldric stumbles into the market square, his robes hanging off him like he’d just wrestled a storm and lost. He mutters curses under his breath, each step punctuated by a wince, as approaches the others.
"By all that it is wet and scaly, the only reason I stand before you is by Pelagia's grace," Aldric moans as he pauses to stretch, rubbing his lower back with a grimace. "That old crone had more tricks up her sleeve than a fucking octopus! I’ve pulled muscles I didn’t even know I had..."
"By all that it is wet and scaly, the only reason I stand before you is by Pelagia's grace," Aldric moans as he pauses to stretch, rubbing his lower back with a grimace. "That old crone had more tricks up her sleeve than a fucking octopus! I’ve pulled muscles I didn’t even know I had..."
Sep 8, 2024 6:08 am
Truly delighted to see the cleric alive and well, Dufgal cannot contain his attachment and clumsily gives him an awkward embrace.
"I’se very chuffed to see you, Brother Aldric. Don’t think for a minute that I wasn’t worrying ’bout you the whole time!"
The thief pulls back from the hug a bit wet and wonders to himself just how a man stays so moist all day and night.
"I’se very chuffed to see you, Brother Aldric. Don’t think for a minute that I wasn’t worrying ’bout you the whole time!"
The thief pulls back from the hug a bit wet and wonders to himself just how a man stays so moist all day and night.
Last edited September 8, 2024 6:10 am
Sep 8, 2024 9:00 am
"Perhaps you would like to wash yourself down, Aldric? Only I fear the beast will sniff you out tonight should you let the scent… fester." she says, through a deliberately steady face, so that she would not bring up her breakfast.
Sep 8, 2024 1:38 pm
Blissfully unaware of the fell bargain struck at the witch's hut, Ty merely contorts his lips in mild puzzlement at the talk of tricks and pulled muscles and festering scents. There are questions on his tongue, but his self-absorption serves him well in this case; the elf breezes past them and instead nods in the direction of the church across the market square.
"I have it on the authority of a human urchin that Father Prick, who presides over Justicia's temple, confirms the names drawn from the lottery box. That means he must be in on the grift. If we have any way of loosening the cleric's tongue, I would much like to know precisely how our Jarl always manages to draw the names of people he and Sylle Ru want to put out of the way."
"I have it on the authority of a human urchin that Father Prick, who presides over Justicia's temple, confirms the names drawn from the lottery box. That means he must be in on the grift. If we have any way of loosening the cleric's tongue, I would much like to know precisely how our Jarl always manages to draw the names of people he and Sylle Ru want to put out of the way."
Last edited September 8, 2024 1:40 pm
Sep 9, 2024 3:47 am
"I had some success getting the witch to speak more freely! Perhaps I could garner the same results from the cleric!"
The thing with the witch had been a lucky stroke. She had caught the woman in a moment of emotional weakness. The cleric could be riled to anger, she was sure, but would he be as susceptible to her magicks?
The thing with the witch had been a lucky stroke. She had caught the woman in a moment of emotional weakness. The cleric could be riled to anger, she was sure, but would he be as susceptible to her magicks?
Sep 10, 2024 3:59 am
Aldric returns Dufgal's embrace as best he can, though the big man's squeezing arms do illicit an aching groan from the Witness's lips. Ah, trusty Dufgal.
He listens intently to Ty's information, not surprised at all that the priest is a charlatan and grifter. It was clerics like him that gave honest Witnesses like Aldric a bad name (and made it harder for him to pull off his own grifts).
The thing with the witch had been a lucky stroke. She had caught the woman in a moment of emotional weakness. The cleric could be riled to anger, she was sure, but would he be as susceptible to her magicks?"Work your magicks, Anora the Blue, but don't expect me to sleep with that one!" Aldric blurts out.
He listens intently to Ty's information, not surprised at all that the priest is a charlatan and grifter. It was clerics like him that gave honest Witnesses like Aldric a bad name (and made it harder for him to pull off his own grifts).
Quote:
"I had some success getting the witch to speak more freely! Perhaps I could garner the same results from the cleric!"The thing with the witch had been a lucky stroke. She had caught the woman in a moment of emotional weakness. The cleric could be riled to anger, she was sure, but would he be as susceptible to her magicks?
Morgan Haverson
Sep 10, 2024 4:31 am
Morgan Haverson
Sep 10, 2024 10:11 am
"If I can catch him in my spell, it may deter him from reading one of our names aloud!" the woman mentions, letting a wry smile cross her face at the thought of that scene unfolding so soon after the morning’s farce in the square.
Sep 10, 2024 5:19 pm
So the priest of Justicia is not, in fact, named Prick. Presumably the human boy was making a joke, meaning 'prick' as a derogatory term and not merely a reference to the male member, glorious amongst the Fae and a source of great joy. The humor of these clever squirrels eludes Tyravasiel-Llir.
When Aldric mentions having slept with the crone, Ty opens his mouth with something like glee. "Did you?" he enthuses. "Fuck the village crone, I mean? What was that like? You must tell me, holy father."
The elf claps Aldric on the shoulder and urges him in the direction of the great church that, supposedly, Ty cannot see.
"You can regale me as we walk along."
When Aldric mentions having slept with the crone, Ty opens his mouth with something like glee. "Did you?" he enthuses. "Fuck the village crone, I mean? What was that like? You must tell me, holy father."
The elf claps Aldric on the shoulder and urges him in the direction of the great church that, supposedly, Ty cannot see.
"You can regale me as we walk along."
Sep 11, 2024 4:20 am
"I tried to turn him from it, but he couldn’t be reasoned with. Don’t put too much stock in his protests now. He had unrivaled focus, I assure you!" Anora says to Ty, ribbing Aldric before setting off to the church with a smirk on her face.
Sep 12, 2024 3:51 am
AT THE CHAPEL OF JUSTICIA (ALL)
The companions talk as they walk towards the church, joking and smiling, a light-hearted moment that is welcome -- a moment that frankly shines like a beacon in glum, cursed Hirot. The two Thegns near the chest turn their bearded heads as they watch the strangers go, Morgan tagging along, and the doors to the stone chapel open even before any of them can manage a knock or call out.
One of the two young, robed acolytes that works with Beacom greets the motely group wordlessly, only offering them a mild expression. Behind him, everyone can see that the building is not overly large, but it is stout, pillared and made fully of quarried stone. Indeed, should a defensive stand need to be made, it looks like the chapel is second in strength only to the Jarl's great hall.
Benches line the place, but it is empty save for the other brother, who is bare-chested and busy whipping himself in front of a statue in a side alcove, and thin Father Beacom himself, who reads from a great book at the front of the church. The tome rests on a great, gilded altar, and near it a velvet curtain is pulled, keeping something from the parishioners' view.
Stained glass abounds in the place, mostly set into small, high-up windows, but the huge centerpiece behind the sour-faced priest is impressive. It overlooks the nave and therefore any gathered congregation, and depicts Justicia herself battling a monstrous devil-hound. Blonde hair streaming and armored breasts jutting, she wields a great spiked warhammer as she prepares a telling blow.
"Brother Aker has taken a vow of silence," Morgan offers quietly as the greeting at the door stretches out, threatening to become awkward.
The companions talk as they walk towards the church, joking and smiling, a light-hearted moment that is welcome -- a moment that frankly shines like a beacon in glum, cursed Hirot. The two Thegns near the chest turn their bearded heads as they watch the strangers go, Morgan tagging along, and the doors to the stone chapel open even before any of them can manage a knock or call out.
One of the two young, robed acolytes that works with Beacom greets the motely group wordlessly, only offering them a mild expression. Behind him, everyone can see that the building is not overly large, but it is stout, pillared and made fully of quarried stone. Indeed, should a defensive stand need to be made, it looks like the chapel is second in strength only to the Jarl's great hall.
Benches line the place, but it is empty save for the other brother, who is bare-chested and busy whipping himself in front of a statue in a side alcove, and thin Father Beacom himself, who reads from a great book at the front of the church. The tome rests on a great, gilded altar, and near it a velvet curtain is pulled, keeping something from the parishioners' view.
Stained glass abounds in the place, mostly set into small, high-up windows, but the huge centerpiece behind the sour-faced priest is impressive. It overlooks the nave and therefore any gathered congregation, and depicts Justicia herself battling a monstrous devil-hound. Blonde hair streaming and armored breasts jutting, she wields a great spiked warhammer as she prepares a telling blow.
"Brother Aker has taken a vow of silence," Morgan offers quietly as the greeting at the door stretches out, threatening to become awkward.
Sep 12, 2024 5:48 am
Dufgal’s instincts kick in quite naturally and he decides that he should take to the corners and hidden places of this sanctuary given that only two souls occupy the space and at least one seems entirely self-absorbed.
OOC:
He aims to quietly traipse the edges of the church. Let me know what roll(s) you require. Sep 12, 2024 10:56 pm
Aldric does indeed regale Ty as they walk to the church. He describes, in explicit detail, the Witch's beautiful glamour that she donned to seduce him, surely making nearby prudes blush.
He also mentions the disquieting figure comprised of smoke, flame, and darkness he saw at the end. "Any notion of what that was?" he asks the Elf, for perhaps his kin knew more of these supernatural things.
When they enter the Chapel of Justicia, Aldric is quieted by its rustic grandeur. Stain glass windows? Quarried stone? Gods, if this was the kind of temple that The Bitch Queen expected, it would be a lot more work to build than he thought! He can't help but note that the devil-hound depicted in the window art surely mirrors the town's existing problem...He senses movement out of the corner of his eye, but when he looks, Dufgal has simply disappeared. "Damn, that man has a talent!" he mutters to himself.
He also mentions the disquieting figure comprised of smoke, flame, and darkness he saw at the end. "Any notion of what that was?" he asks the Elf, for perhaps his kin knew more of these supernatural things.
When they enter the Chapel of Justicia, Aldric is quieted by its rustic grandeur. Stain glass windows? Quarried stone? Gods, if this was the kind of temple that The Bitch Queen expected, it would be a lot more work to build than he thought! He can't help but note that the devil-hound depicted in the window art surely mirrors the town's existing problem...
OOC:
Judge, does the devil-hound in the stained glass look anything like the one we encountered? Also, does the glass shiny and appear new, or weathered with age?Sep 13, 2024 1:04 am
As they approach the church, Ty ponders the Pelagian's question. A being of smoke and flame? Has he seen or heard tell of such a thing, in all of Elfland? While he thinks, Ty says, "Are you certain that the crone is not the glamour, and the lovely maiden her true form? Forest folk of great beauty have been known to walk among men in humble guises."
Not naming any names.
Then the elf is being introduced to Brother Aker, whose commitment to keeping his mouth shut immediately impresses. A vow of silence? Is it possible that this fellow, alone among his kind, has recognized the folly of human speech? That he refuses on principle to add his own chittering to the cacophony of squirrel sounds that plague the lands of men?
Tyravasiel puckers his lips, like he's sucked on a lemon of moral rectitude. He gives Aker a slow, approving nod.
"Good man. If only there were more like you."
OOC:
Dearest Judge, has Ty seen or heard tell of such a thing in all of Elfland?Not naming any names.
Then the elf is being introduced to Brother Aker, whose commitment to keeping his mouth shut immediately impresses. A vow of silence? Is it possible that this fellow, alone among his kind, has recognized the folly of human speech? That he refuses on principle to add his own chittering to the cacophony of squirrel sounds that plague the lands of men?
Tyravasiel puckers his lips, like he's sucked on a lemon of moral rectitude. He gives Aker a slow, approving nod.
"Good man. If only there were more like you."
Last edited September 13, 2024 1:04 am
Sep 13, 2024 6:59 am
During the worst of it, that lewd conversation that Aldric and Ty have, Morgan, red-faced, has her hands clapped over her ears. She can barely stand their lack of decorum in mixed company, and she is glad when the scene at the church turns them to new topics.
As Dufgal darts inside, moving towards the shadowy alcoves that line the small church's wings, the priest looks up from his book.
"Eh? What's this?" the bald, lean-faced man says at the sound of strange voices. "Nay!" he adds vociferously. "Nay, I say to thee! Heathens and unbelievers are unwelcome in this hallowed hall! Swear yourself to Justicia, confess your sins, accept her judgement. Do these things, strangers, and enjoy the Grace of the Lawgiver, and all that that means."
As Dufgal darts inside, moving towards the shadowy alcoves that line the small church's wings, the priest looks up from his book.
Father Beacom
Sep 13, 2024 9:44 am
If self-flagellation, in its myriad forms, could save a village, Hirot would be safer than any other… Anora thinks, as she walks from one form of pious self punishment to another all morning.
"We need one that has vowed quite the opposite." Anora remarks to Morgan, hoping to find a loose set of lips on the church that might be willing to answer a question or three.
"And what does that mean?" Anora says, in almost a challenge. The Lawgiver had done a poor job of it for Hirot.
"We need one that has vowed quite the opposite." Anora remarks to Morgan, hoping to find a loose set of lips on the church that might be willing to answer a question or three.
"And what does that mean?" Anora says, in almost a challenge. The Lawgiver had done a poor job of it for Hirot.
Sep 13, 2024 3:07 pm
OOC:
Forgot to ask Dufgal for a roll. The entrance is fairly open and with the brother -right there- I would normally rule it’s impossible to sneak in without Beacom or Brother Aker seeing you, but with the commotion and such… I’ll allow a Hide in Shadows rolls at -1d — so roll a d16. The DC is 10 for Beacom to not see you, and 15 for Aker. Sep 13, 2024 3:21 pm
Father Beacom
"It means," he begins gravely as he comes closer, halving the distance, "that you must admit to your imperfections, your petty cravings, your inadequacies. You must seek truth and expose your breast to the harsh and unyielding light of faith; faith in Justicia’s indomitable and faultless judgement. You must repent and suffer for your sins, woman. Your must drive out your demons!"
Morgan Haverson
"Brother Haams is as Aker. They both both sworn to silence, and never speak."
Sep 13, 2024 5:13 pm
Trying to use the others to block line of sight, Dufgal makes his way towards the shadows of the alcoves, but the glaring judgment of the priest is so fierce that he cannot help but visibly cringe as if he had been struck. The pain seared across his neck and back of head. His memory of priest brutality from his childhood brought old wounds to fore. He stopped cold in his tracks and nearly fell forward to confess his repentance. Only the care of Brother Aldric and Lady Anora held him in this moment. He simply froze.
OOC:
Dufgal still has no idea how the elf feels toward him. Last edited September 13, 2024 5:18 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Hide in shadows (Agil) - (1d16+3)
(2) + 3 = 5
Father Beacom
Sep 14, 2024 12:50 am
Father Beacom
"Get out of my church, boy! Keep your larcenous fingers in your pockets, and get out!"
Sep 14, 2024 4:44 am
Dufgal, in his shame-gripped panic, falls to the granite floor and starts uncontrollably shaking. Slowly, at first a low sucking of air sounds from the heap, then a sudden powerful wailing pierces the serenity of the space. The shrill venting lasts longer than a caterwaul at midnight and then abruptly stops. The thief collects himself, rubs the snot and tears from his dirt-stained face, has a moment of crystal clarity about his belief that whatever gods may exist, they are not in this place. He flips off the preacher and stands his ground. "I’se made my peace wif my maker and you’se best do the same!"
Sep 14, 2024 5:23 pm
Tyravasiel-Llir clears his throat. It's not clear to him which display was more embarrassing: Dufgal's seizure of contrition or Father Beacom's inquisitorial lust.
Must she bare her breast indeed, Father Prune?
"I believe, holy father," Ty says uncomfortably, "that Anora the Blue was asking rather what the 'Grace of the Lawgiver' means, when you seem unable to protect your flock from the depredations of this mystical wolf."
Must she bare her breast indeed, Father Prune?
"I believe, holy father," Ty says uncomfortably, "that Anora the Blue was asking rather what the 'Grace of the Lawgiver' means, when you seem unable to protect your flock from the depredations of this mystical wolf."
Last edited September 14, 2024 8:40 pm
Sep 14, 2024 5:46 pm
Aldric finds all of this very amusing. The majesty of this place was spoiled, the illusion shattered.
On the heels of Ty's correction, Aldric slams his oar down three times and exclaims "Shall I expose my breast as well, father?!" He then tears his robes from his sinewy frame, flying all sails to the wind. He laughs loudly, madly! He fills the halls with ringing joy, trying to dispel the sanctimonious bullshit.
"All you say is hypocrisy! You stand above others and tell us to wipe our asses clean, and claim your own puckered hole smells sweeter than a rose! Yet it is YOU who have failed your congregation! It is you who have fed your people to the devil dog, and let Sylle Ru infect the town with madness and complacency!"
His voice echoes throughout the stone hall as he reaches to grab the loyal Dufgal by his big shoulders. "This man is ten times more holy than you! All of us faced the Beast while you cowered in this hall! Grow some fucking testicles and fight instead of beating yourself off, like that dolt in the corner!"
This was rich from a man who only a day ago was thinking of skipping town to collect a few gold coins, but his nature was like the sea, ever-changing. Praise the Bitch Queen!
On the heels of Ty's correction, Aldric slams his oar down three times and exclaims "Shall I expose my breast as well, father?!" He then tears his robes from his sinewy frame, flying all sails to the wind. He laughs loudly, madly! He fills the halls with ringing joy, trying to dispel the sanctimonious bullshit.
"All you say is hypocrisy! You stand above others and tell us to wipe our asses clean, and claim your own puckered hole smells sweeter than a rose! Yet it is YOU who have failed your congregation! It is you who have fed your people to the devil dog, and let Sylle Ru infect the town with madness and complacency!"
His voice echoes throughout the stone hall as he reaches to grab the loyal Dufgal by his big shoulders. "This man is ten times more holy than you! All of us faced the Beast while you cowered in this hall! Grow some fucking testicles and fight instead of beating yourself off, like that dolt in the corner!"
This was rich from a man who only a day ago was thinking of skipping town to collect a few gold coins, but his nature was like the sea, ever-changing. Praise the Bitch Queen!
Last edited September 14, 2024 5:49 pm
Sep 14, 2024 8:36 pm
OOC:
Giving Anora a chance to chime in as well, but in the meantime there are some unanswered questions. Sorry 'bout that.Quote:
Judge, does the devil-hound in the stained glass look anything like the one we encountered? Also, does the glass shiny and appear new, or weathered with age?Quote:
Dearest Judge, has Ty seen or heard tell of such a thing in all of Elfland?Sep 15, 2024 6:33 am
Anora rolls her eyes at the diatribe coming from the priest. So wrapped up in his brow beating that he had missed that Anora was asking what she would get in exchange for all the priest… eh, the Lawgiver demands.
"That all sounds very noble! Perhaps you might demonstrate… for those of us familiar with the rites. Have you done so yourself? Allow us to be your opportunity." she says, challenging the man to express his own inadequacies and all the rest…
"That all sounds very noble! Perhaps you might demonstrate… for those of us familiar with the rites. Have you done so yourself? Allow us to be your opportunity." she says, challenging the man to express his own inadequacies and all the rest…
Father Beacom
Sep 15, 2024 5:50 pm
Father Beacom
The robed youth looks wide-eyed at the visitors, perhaps worried at what they will do should he follow the Father's instructions, but Beacom booms again, not finished in responding to Dufgal's gesture, the elf's words, suddenly naked Aldric's outburst, and Anora's always calm invections.
"That grace would be visible to you had Justicia not deemed you were unworthy of thine own eyes," the robed man says viscously to Ty. "And you, defiler!" he shouts at Aldric. "Begone as well, and take your blubbering simpleton with you! Never return, you heathen!"
In the side alcove, the boy flagellating himself ceases and pulls his robes back on with a grimace as Beacom moves closer still, pointing his finger at Anora.
"And I will demonstrate nothing for you, you pompous bitch! Even your hair is an affront! I have made my peace with the goddess and she has blessed me to carry her will to others! And so shall I do!"
Morgan has been practically hiding behind Ty and Anora during all this, but now, with the distance closed, the girl is visible to the priest.
"Ah! I see you have the town's whore as your guide in these matters!" the man growls through gritted teeth. "Much makes sense now!"
OOC:
Okay! Anyone making a move to stop Aker, or are you letting him go? I'm seeing Beacom about 20 feet away at this point, and he appears to be not listening to reason. Naked priests of other faiths likely doesn't help.Sep 16, 2024 12:27 am
Dufgal, full of fury at this embodiment of righteousness, felt as though every indignation he had ever suffered surged as a rebel army inside him. He will not let this man call for the thegns. He will not allow this arrogant asshole judge him or anyone any more.
He moved with precision to block the egress of the young acolyte. He brandished his garrote with intent.
So I’ll roll an attack if needed. Or a contested strength check because he is only meaning to subdue him.
He moved with precision to block the egress of the young acolyte. He brandished his garrote with intent.
OOC:
I suppose the resolution of this action depends on whether Aker will stop or attempt to pass. Dufgal will try and get him in a chokehold if he does , but will be satisfied if he merely stops. So I’ll roll an attack if needed. Or a contested strength check because he is only meaning to subdue him.
Last edited September 16, 2024 12:43 am
Sep 16, 2024 12:13 pm
Anora lets the man run his tongue long enough to hopefully tire himself out. To his own pointing finger, she raises the flat of her palm up to face him, as if to block his accusation.
Hand outstretched, as she had done to the witch, Anora commands:
"Cease!" and waits for her magick to grip the man…
Hand outstretched, as she had done to the witch, Anora commands:
"Cease!" and waits for her magick to grip the man…
OOC:
The caster charms an enemy to become a friend. Any mundane living humanoid can be affected normally. Druids can also use this spells on animals. Wizards can attempt this spell on monsters and undead with a -2 check penalty and attempt to affect outsiders and demons with a -4 check penalty.Last edited September 16, 2024 12:15 pm
Rolls
Charm Person - (1d20+1)
(13) + 1 = 14
Sep 16, 2024 10:13 pm
Aldric lets the others deal with the fleeing fool. Instead, he begins calling upon Pelagia to extend his senses and expose any overt evils within this sordid place of worship. Though normally he wanted to avoid Pelagia's attention, he knew now that her eye was already fixed upon him, until this moon-cursed hound was dealt with.
OOC:
Casting detect evil! And... that's a fail. +1 disapproval!Last edited September 16, 2024 10:13 pm
Rolls
Detect Evil Spellcasting Check - (1d20+2)
(3) + 2 = 5
Sep 17, 2024 1:34 am
Ty eases toward the church door, aiming to place himself between Brother Aker and the market square. He curls his fingers around the thick wooden portal and swings it closed, then backs up against it.
With an apologetic twist of the lips, he says, "You'll forgive me, pious youth, but we'd prefer that our conversation not be interrupted." The elf thinks a moment, then adds, "I'm doing you a favor, really. Were you going to summon the thegns by means of pantomime?"
Ty shakes his head at the folly of that imagined spectacle.
With an apologetic twist of the lips, he says, "You'll forgive me, pious youth, but we'd prefer that our conversation not be interrupted." The elf thinks a moment, then adds, "I'm doing you a favor, really. Were you going to summon the thegns by means of pantomime?"
Ty shakes his head at the folly of that imagined spectacle.
Sep 18, 2024 6:59 am
Brother Aker, with Dufgal coming up behind him, and Ty blocking his way, is wide-eyed, terrified, and appears to have no interest in pressing on for the door.
Suddenly Aldric is shaking, gesticulating, and when Anora speaks a word and gestures -- a sparkle of glittering dust fills the air between her and the priest...
And yep, Disapproval for Aldric. What are you doing naked in that other goddess's temple?!
Suddenly Aldric is shaking, gesticulating, and when Anora speaks a word and gestures -- a sparkle of glittering dust fills the air between her and the priest...
OOC:
Rolling for Beacom's Will Save. Before I do... Anora, burning any Luck? It's too late for Spellburn, you need to decide on that before you roll.And yep, Disapproval for Aldric. What are you doing naked in that other goddess's temple?!
Rolls
Beacom Will Save (DC14) - (1d20+1)
(14) + 1 = 15
Sep 18, 2024 7:52 am
OOC:
Anora, per a conversation in the Discord, decides to spend two points of Luck to succeed at the spell check.Father Beacom
"My Lady Anora," he begins, so much more softly as he comes forward the rest of the way, so that he is face to face with her. "You must forgive my outburst. I only want you and your companions to see the light. To... understand how it feels to be guided -- and protected -- by the grace and mercy of beloved Justicia. I am terribly sorry I insulted your hair. I believe it would flatter you if you wore it down, but who am I to question your--
Morgan Haverson
Father Beacom
Sep 18, 2024 11:20 am
Anora waves away the apology the moment it lands.
"There is no need to apologize, Father. These are trying times for Hirot. And for you most of all…" she says, thinking about all the poor sods that had been lashed to the stones already and torn asunder.
"Of course, Father Deacom. We came only to ensure that all was well with you before the burdens of the lottery…"
"There is no need to apologize, Father. These are trying times for Hirot. And for you most of all…" she says, thinking about all the poor sods that had been lashed to the stones already and torn asunder.
"Of course, Father Deacom. We came only to ensure that all was well with you before the burdens of the lottery…"
OOC:
Pausing for clarification!
Father Beacom
Sep 18, 2024 3:01 pm
Father Beacom
"I am as well as I can be, my lady, in such trying times. If only the townsfolk would repent, Justicia would wrap her merciful and strong arms around them! You... have come for that, I sense. You wish to confess to me!"
Sep 18, 2024 5:44 pm
OOC:
I didn't think Pelagia would mind! :DOOC:
Trying again!
Last edited September 19, 2024 5:09 am
Rolls
Detect Evil Spellcasting Check - (1d20+2)
(12) + 2 = 14
Sep 19, 2024 2:23 am
"I have." Anora admits to the priest. "Though my acquaintances are duty-bound to accompany me wherever I go. I assure you they will remain…" Anora starts, before Aldric offers glory to the Bitch Queen.
"… silent, as I confess my failings." she says, waiting for the priest to take her up on the offer.
She steps forward further into the church.
"I confess…" she says, stressing the word and then letting it linger a moment in the holy space. "… to not being able to understand what exactly is at play here in Hirot. Of the beast, and how to undo it, I couldn’t have more information.
What I and my companions can’t quite understand is what work of Man is at play in the village.
I only ask that you…" she says, stopping short of saying the word confess. "… speak of what you know, friend!"
"… silent, as I confess my failings." she says, waiting for the priest to take her up on the offer.
She steps forward further into the church.
"I confess…" she says, stressing the word and then letting it linger a moment in the holy space. "… to not being able to understand what exactly is at play here in Hirot. Of the beast, and how to undo it, I couldn’t have more information.
What I and my companions can’t quite understand is what work of Man is at play in the village.
I only ask that you…" she says, stopping short of saying the word confess. "… speak of what you know, friend!"
Father Beacom
Sep 19, 2024 11:33 pm
Father Beacom
"I know only that this demon descended on Hirot because the people here lost their faith, my lady. They fell prey to their most wanton desires, their worst instincts. They denied difficult truths about themselves, and Justicia turned away from them. Lacking her watchful and protective gaze, these simple folks are vulnerable. To their own carnal cravings and sicknesses, but also to the claws of chaos! The Hound would have no power here if our people had not lost their faith."
OOC:
Aldric, let’s have you describe the manifestion of your successful Detect Evil spell. Here’s what it tells you:Beacom is a rigid, rigid guy. To a fault! He’s not -evil- though. I think this only works on things in front of you so… you also catch the one brother not near the door. He too is a rule follower! And whatever is covered by that velvet cloth… it’s an item of great lawful power indeed, and something Pelagia may have interest in. Or loathe!
Sep 20, 2024 12:57 am
"Of course! Of course! You are right!" Anora starts, allowing the man that much.
"My understanding is that these things are often introduced by a single individual, or perhaps a small group. Yes, they inflict their wrath on the whole, but their source is often a single man or woman.
Might that be the case here?" she asks, wondering if she could tease Sylle Ru’s name from the cleric’s lips. Surely not, but she lived in hope…
"My understanding is that these things are often introduced by a single individual, or perhaps a small group. Yes, they inflict their wrath on the whole, but their source is often a single man or woman.
Might that be the case here?" she asks, wondering if she could tease Sylle Ru’s name from the cleric’s lips. Surely not, but she lived in hope…
Sep 20, 2024 2:07 am
As Pelagia's blessing takes hold of his mind, he witnesses the light in the temple shift, as though someone had submerged it.. The golden light streaming through the stained-glass windows fades, replaced by a pale, diffused glow that made everything seem distant, dreamlike. The once-sharp edges of the room begin to blur, objects appearing to shimmer as if viewed through a layer of rippling water.
Aldric looks to the shadows of Beacom and his whipping boy. Both writhe and distort, as if struggling against unseen currents. He can tell they do not align with Pelagia's ways - rigid, dry beings that treasure rules and obligations. Blech! But, the shadows of the altar writhe most interestingly. What is that beneath the velvet cloth that disturbs the balance of good and evil so greatly?
"Dufgal!" he beckons, approaching the man with haste. The big thief was just the man for the job. He whispers in his ear: "On the altar, beneath the cloth - I sense a powerful artifact. It might be just what we need to face the devil hound!"
Aldric looks to the shadows of Beacom and his whipping boy. Both writhe and distort, as if struggling against unseen currents. He can tell they do not align with Pelagia's ways - rigid, dry beings that treasure rules and obligations. Blech! But, the shadows of the altar writhe most interestingly. What is that beneath the velvet cloth that disturbs the balance of good and evil so greatly?
"Dufgal!" he beckons, approaching the man with haste. The big thief was just the man for the job. He whispers in his ear: "On the altar, beneath the cloth - I sense a powerful artifact. It might be just what we need to face the devil hound!"
Sep 20, 2024 3:01 am
Dufgal pulls his ear from the cleric’s whisper and looks to his eyes for confirmation of the request. Seeing Aldric’s full seriousness, the thief turns to scan the layout. It seems impossible to pilfer a precious item right in front of its owner. He turns and whispers back, "We’se gonna need a mighty powerful distraction…"
Dufgal considers his path and plots.
Dufgal considers his path and plots.
Sep 21, 2024 3:09 am
Father Beacom
"Yes. Yes! I think you are right, Lady Anora. I cannot be certain... but I believe Dolsten the tanner is to blame! I do not have proof, but guilt lurks in that man's eyes! In his voice! If he would come, if he would confess we would know it for true!"
Sep 21, 2024 4:25 am
Aldric whispers to Dufgal: "I shall call upon Pelagia to drown the altar in Darkness! Quickly, memorize the path as I perform the ritual; it will soon be swimming in inky darkness, providing you with a suitably powerful distraction."
He turns to Ty and Anora to give them a look to let them know that he and Dufgal are up to something.
Then he turns to Father Beacon and allows his voice to boom: "Your dogmatic rigidity is the spectator of Hirot's slow death, priest of justice. But have you forgotten the most fundamental truth of justice, Father Beacom?"
"Justice is blind."
"Let Pelagia's miracles return your perspective, so that you may truly see once more."
He slams the broken haft of the oar on the stone floor three times, and the thrice folded wave begins to glow!From every orifice in Aldric's body spills a cloud of inky black fluid into the air. The fluid, as dark and opaque as octopus ink, rapidly expands, engulfing the altar in an unnatural darkness. This darkness is absolute, like that found in the deepest trenches of the ocean, and it clings to everything it touches.
He turns to Ty and Anora to give them a look to let them know that he and Dufgal are up to something.
Then he turns to Father Beacon and allows his voice to boom: "Your dogmatic rigidity is the spectator of Hirot's slow death, priest of justice. But have you forgotten the most fundamental truth of justice, Father Beacom?"
"Justice is blind."
"Let Pelagia's miracles return your perspective, so that you may truly see once more."
He slams the broken haft of the oar on the stone floor three times, and the thrice folded wave begins to glow!
OOC:
Casting Darkness, centred on the altar.[ +- ] Darkness result for 17
Last edited September 22, 2024 1:44 am
Rolls
Spellcasting check for Darkness - (1d20+2)
(15) + 2 = 17
Sep 21, 2024 6:31 am
Dufgal does exactly as Aldric describes. In fact, he was already doing it so, when the cleric asked, it seemed like confirmation of their psychic connection. This made him smile broadly. He might’ve even winked.
The stout stealther mouthed his count as he measured how many steps forward before he would need to take a sidestep. He noted any landmarks that he may expect to meet with hands or feet so he could anticipate them and reach out softly ahead as he went. He pictured the safest route to remain out of reach of the priest or his lackey. He even imagined the return trip reversing his steps and thought to himself that he should head to the edge of the dark ring of magic and simply use his eyesight to guide him back to the cleric’s side to present the requested item.
As soon as the swirl of wyrd encircled the altar and the cleric, the thief darted forward. When he entered the shadow, he began counting out his memorized rhythm. He made his way with such intent that his brow began to sweat and his heart pounded in his chest. He efforted to control his breath, but the adrenaline was surging ever more powerfully in each moment and with each movement.
The stout stealther mouthed his count as he measured how many steps forward before he would need to take a sidestep. He noted any landmarks that he may expect to meet with hands or feet so he could anticipate them and reach out softly ahead as he went. He pictured the safest route to remain out of reach of the priest or his lackey. He even imagined the return trip reversing his steps and thought to himself that he should head to the edge of the dark ring of magic and simply use his eyesight to guide him back to the cleric’s side to present the requested item.
As soon as the swirl of wyrd encircled the altar and the cleric, the thief darted forward. When he entered the shadow, he began counting out his memorized rhythm. He made his way with such intent that his brow began to sweat and his heart pounded in his chest. He efforted to control his breath, but the adrenaline was surging ever more powerfully in each moment and with each movement.
OOC:
Ask for rolls and ye shall have them, good JudgeLast edited September 21, 2024 6:32 am
Sep 21, 2024 11:38 am
Anora looks and then looks again, trying to decipher whatever message lay on the strange cleric’s face.
When the inky black floods the room, she can only recoil. She presses herself against the door and looks about for Ty, the blind beggar.
They had truly stepped into the fighting pits with Hirot’s premier citizens this morning…
When the inky black floods the room, she can only recoil. She presses herself against the door and looks about for Ty, the blind beggar.
They had truly stepped into the fighting pits with Hirot’s premier citizens this morning…
Sep 21, 2024 2:59 pm
OOC:
I would like two rolls, Dufgal.Make an INT check vs. DC10 to try and precisely recall the path you need to take.
If you fail, make a Luck check to reach the altar without incident.
If you pass, make an AGI check vs. DC10. You can add in Moving Silently.
If Ty offers any instruction (he can still see!), bump the dice chain in your favor for Luck or AGI, but it'll mean he has to call out instructions.
Sep 21, 2024 6:51 pm
Dufgal has never concentrated harder on anything. This was a huge moment for him.
OOC:
Luckburn to make it an 11Last edited September 21, 2024 6:53 pm
Rolls
INT for the plan - (1d20)
(15) = 15
Dufgal: Sneak silently (Agil) - (1d20+5)
(4) + 5 = 9
Dufgal: Luck Die - (1d3)
(2) = 2
Sep 22, 2024 1:41 am
As the darkness roils from the Pelagian priest, Ty can only gape. By the periwinkle tits of the river maidens, what is Aldric doing? Had Anora not just secured the cooperation of Father Beacom? Aren't they going to question him about the lottery box?
Apparently Aldric and Dufgal have other plans. The priest's blinding darkness strikes the elf's eye rather as a sort of oil in the air, rendering shapes less distinct but no less visible. Through it, he can see Dufgal creeping carefully towards the altar of Justicia. What might he be after up there?
For a moment, Ty considers strolling behind the burly thief. But it occurs to him that this magical blackness might send Beacom or his acolytes into a panic, and that one or more of them might try to flee the church. So Tyravasiel remains by the doors, ready to trip or turn away anyone who should stumble in his direction.
Apparently Aldric and Dufgal have other plans. The priest's blinding darkness strikes the elf's eye rather as a sort of oil in the air, rendering shapes less distinct but no less visible. Through it, he can see Dufgal creeping carefully towards the altar of Justicia. What might he be after up there?
For a moment, Ty considers strolling behind the burly thief. But it occurs to him that this magical blackness might send Beacom or his acolytes into a panic, and that one or more of them might try to flee the church. So Tyravasiel remains by the doors, ready to trip or turn away anyone who should stumble in his direction.
Last edited September 22, 2024 1:43 am
Sep 22, 2024 2:16 pm
OOC:
I've just realized with the Spell Check result of 16, I should be playing Beacom a bit more woodenly, a "shell of his former self," his will "forcibly subverted by the caster." So will start doing that... and fair warning threats to the priest's church (like all the others present and this darkness) are going to allow him additional Saves to throw off the charm. We also should have rolled this:Roll 1d4: (1) odd facial tic; (2) deep bags under eyes; (3) posture and facial expressions resemble caster; (4) hair stands straight up.
So, adding that now.
Rolls
Mark of Control - (1d4)
(1) = 1
Father Beacom
Sep 22, 2024 2:26 pm
Father Beacom
"No!" Beacom shouts, pointing at the priest as the man begins to leak dark fumes into the air. "Your bitch goddess -- urk! Your... your bitch goddess is not welcome inside these hallowed -- halls!"
Then the magical darkness, black as pitch, envelopes everyone present, and chaos briefly reigns. Dufgal is on the move, stepping deftly and moving quickly towards the altar. Eyes closed, the man navigates the path from memory!
"Sacrilege!" Beacom cries, and when Anora calls out to him, he growls back. "It's the sea-priest, Anora! You should not fraternize with him! He... he must be cast out of my... church! B-begone, foul kraken!"
Rolls
Will Save (DC16) - (1d20+1)
(13) + 1 = 14
Sep 22, 2024 2:46 pm
At the altar, Dufgal's hands land on the velvet cloth, and they pull it away. Though he cannot see his hand in front of his face, it is not difficult to tell that the object concerned by the curtain is cold metal, engraved, and -- sharp!
OOC:
Make a Luck check, please! Suffer 1 damage from a cut to your hand if you fail.Sep 22, 2024 3:21 pm
Perhaps he didn’t have any idea of what he was sent to abscond, but a blade was nowhere near his mind’s guesses. As he grasps the cold metal, his fingers graze against its sharpness. He continues finger walking the shape until he finds its handle. He lifts it, keeping it level until it clears the shelf edges, and then he drops the cloth and heads back the way he came. Taking precise steps in reverse. He almost feels as though he has learned one of them fancy court dances that the royals do.
Last edited September 22, 2024 3:25 pm
Rolls
Luck check (currently 7) - (1d20)
(7) = 7
Sep 23, 2024 3:06 am
Anora fumbles for the door, hoping to get out of the inky black and back out into the mid morning air.
"Impossible, Father! Though I assure you that I will get to the bottom of this! If the man is responsible, he will be delivered to you before long!"
Should she find the doorway, Anora will push it open!
"Out! Out! So that I may contend with you myself in private!" the woman shouts into the darkness, mustering all the irritation and anger she can!
"Impossible, Father! Though I assure you that I will get to the bottom of this! If the man is responsible, he will be delivered to you before long!"
Should she find the doorway, Anora will push it open!
"Out! Out! So that I may contend with you myself in private!" the woman shouts into the darkness, mustering all the irritation and anger she can!
Sep 23, 2024 5:06 am
Aldric's voice booms loudly, ignoring everyone, filling the lawful church with chaos. For a distraction was asked for, and by Pelagia he shall deliver!
"Father Beacom! Has blindness reminded you of the meaning of Justice? Has blindness reminded you of your duty? Can you see at last, now that your eyes are full of darkness, the fowl pit of shit you have sunken yourself and this town into?"
He also wants his voice to serve as a guide to Dufgal, who is presumably stumbling through the dark and will need a way to find the door. He himself backs towards the entrance, his booming a guide to his disciple, and exits when ready.
As Anora shoos him out, he contends:
"All will be revealed in a moment's time, Anora the Blue. Yes, we must retire to a place of privacy. Let us retreat to the tavern, where we might examine our divinely purloined booty! Our time is at hand, and the moon-fucked beast trembles in its lair, I know it!"
"Father Beacom! Has blindness reminded you of the meaning of Justice? Has blindness reminded you of your duty? Can you see at last, now that your eyes are full of darkness, the fowl pit of shit you have sunken yourself and this town into?"
He also wants his voice to serve as a guide to Dufgal, who is presumably stumbling through the dark and will need a way to find the door. He himself backs towards the entrance, his booming a guide to his disciple, and exits when ready.
As Anora shoos him out, he contends:
"All will be revealed in a moment's time, Anora the Blue. Yes, we must retire to a place of privacy. Let us retreat to the tavern, where we might examine our divinely purloined booty! Our time is at hand, and the moon-fucked beast trembles in its lair, I know it!"
Sep 24, 2024 1:25 am
Anora smothers the tut that forms behind her teeth. The priest could do with some lessons in subterfuge!
The Jarl and his men would descend on the tavern in no time at all. Perhaps they ought to return to the witch’s hut once they get outside…
The Jarl and his men would descend on the tavern in no time at all. Perhaps they ought to return to the witch’s hut once they get outside…
Sep 24, 2024 4:32 am
OOC:
Quote:
The Jarl and his men would descend on the tavern in no time at all. Perhaps they ought to return to the witch’s hut once they get outside…Sep 24, 2024 6:47 am
The doors to the Church of Justicia burst open, spilling Anora, Morgan, Aldric and the others out onto the top of the wide steps that descend to the market. Emerging from the foul and reeking darkness that still holds Father Beacom and the two brothers in its clutches, the visitors to Hirot see that two of the Jarl's Thegns are climbing these steps, making for the church's entrance.
Morgan blinks rapidly as she finds she can see again, and she keeps her voice down as she tugs at Anora's blue sleeve.
"Do... do all of you possess such gifts?!" she hisses. "Never have I see such sorcery, even from the Mad Widow!"
Inside the church, Beacom can be heard shouting, responding to the sea priest's affronts. But it is the two armored warriors cresting the top step that draws everyone's attention.
"Hei," one of the men says with a nod. He carries and axe, and wears mail. "Strangers, we are Utherl and Ofenloch, Thegns of Jarl Griegor. Stand aside, for it is time to ring the church bell. Gather in the market square there, and remain until the Jarl descends from his great house for the lot-drawing."
The other man, a smelly warrior who possesses one good eye and a deadly-looking fighting spear, says nothing. His matted furs are likely the source of his stench, but one would not know without some unpleasant research.
Morgan Haverson
"Do... do all of you possess such gifts?!" she hisses. "Never have I see such sorcery, even from the Mad Widow!"
Inside the church, Beacom can be heard shouting, responding to the sea priest's affronts. But it is the two armored warriors cresting the top step that draws everyone's attention.
Utherl
Ofenloch
OOC:
Ty and Dufgal, presuming you're outside as well. Dufgal, I'd like a Dex test to conceal that which you stole. DC10, include an ability that's appropriate for 'holding out' or concealing an item on your person. Perhaps Pick Pocket?Sep 25, 2024 12:50 am
Emerging from the darkness, relieved that the caper was successful, Dufgal was taken aback by the unexpected arrival of the thegns. He had imagined that he would take the blade out and proudly present it to Aldric, but at the sight of the agents of authority, he quickly disappeared it into the folds of his robe. He told his face to look innocent. He likely failed at that.
Last edited September 25, 2024 12:53 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Pick pocket - (1d20+4)
(7) + 4 = 11
Sep 25, 2024 1:09 am
"Of sorcery? Yes, it would appear so! Save for Dufgal there, though he has talents of his own!" Anora mutters to Morgan.
She clears her throat and listens intently to the two men who approach, watchful for any flicker in their eyes that might suggest their next course of action!
She clears her throat and listens intently to the two men who approach, watchful for any flicker in their eyes that might suggest their next course of action!
OOC:
Waiting on a plan in Discord!Sep 25, 2024 4:03 am
Tucking his heavy prize beneath the folds of his clothing, Dufgal briefly sees in the afternoon light that the object is in fact the ornate head of a warhammer!
[ +- ] So something like...
Sep 25, 2024 10:39 am
"Father Deacom would ask that you wait another moment!" Anora says, putting a hand up to the two men as they approach. She allows a moment of silence to fall, so that they can hear some indistinct shouting from within the church.
"The acolytes are bearing the brunt of the Father’s ire over the excitement that transpired this morning! I believe he will have the boys carry out the rituals themselves, as a punishment… to use his words!"
"The acolytes are bearing the brunt of the Father’s ire over the excitement that transpired this morning! I believe he will have the boys carry out the rituals themselves, as a punishment… to use his words!"
Sep 25, 2024 10:52 pm
Aldric brings Dufgal near, giving him both cover to hide the spoils of their adventure, and a comradely hug! "Excellent work!" he beams, getting a short peak at the glorious tool. He thinks back to the stained-glass window and realizes that this instrument might be the very weapon used to smite this moon-cursed hellhound in ages past. "Keep it secret! Keep it safe!"
He began scheming about permanently acquiring this weapon. Surely this weapon would fetch a handsome price, undoubtedly financing a healthy portion of the mountaintop temple he had pledged to build in Pelagia's name.
He began scheming about permanently acquiring this weapon. Surely this weapon would fetch a handsome price, undoubtedly financing a healthy portion of the mountaintop temple he had pledged to build in Pelagia's name.
Utherl
Sep 27, 2024 1:58 am
Utherl
"The Jarl is not in the habit of waiting on the priest," the big man says. "And I care not about his acolytes, but for his bell, woman. I intend to ring it. Now."
The man looms. The threat of violence does not visibly boil in him, but is it ever far from rough men like this? He does not look daunted by Anora, her companions, nor her hair.
"Step aside, go to the market," he says, moving forward.
OOC:
He intends to brush past or through the group, with his fellow, and enter the church.Sep 27, 2024 3:07 am
"Cease!" the woman says with power in the word! "The priest’s rites must be observed, or Hirot is doomed!" she says, meaning to charm the strongman to her side!
Rolls
Charm Person + Level - (1d20+1)
(3) + 1 = 4
Sep 27, 2024 4:05 am
Utherl
"Quiet, woman, there is serious work to do! The fates are about to choose who dies next, for pity's sake! Your babbling has no place in this moment!"
Ofenloch
Off to the side, Ty feels his bowels knot. The mention that the Fates will make this choice... he can tell, somehow, that this is not the truth.
OOC:
Spell failed, and lost for the day! White Magic, IF Charm Person can be called that, refreshes at sunrise!Sep 27, 2024 4:16 am
The push sends a jolt of pain up the wizardess, and the hand to her face sends teeth into her lip and the taste of iron seeps into her mouth.
She stands, with some effort. Dusting herself down, and cleaning the blood smearing on her chin, she calls after the man:
"Craven bastards!" she says, stepping forward towards him! "You’ve done little enough for Hirot, and all too much for the hound. Rest now! Others are here to see the thing through!" she goes on, summoning more magic again!
Fuck sake. Adding 5 remaining luck to that!
She stands, with some effort. Dusting herself down, and cleaning the blood smearing on her chin, she calls after the man:
"Craven bastards!" she says, stepping forward towards him! "You’ve done little enough for Hirot, and all too much for the hound. Rest now! Others are here to see the thing through!" she goes on, summoning more magic again!
OOC:
Sleep!Fuck sake. Adding 5 remaining luck to that!
Last edited September 27, 2024 4:21 am
Rolls
Sleep + Level - (1d20+1)
(8) + 1 = 9
Planar Rift - (1d100)
(60) = 60
Sep 27, 2024 5:07 am
Whatever his personal motivations, Dufgal takes his contract seriously and, as soon as the thug puts hands on the lady he had been conscripted to guard, he springs into action. He takes his garotte in one hand and circles his other around the neck of the offending man to grab the other end.
OOC:
He is attempting to get this thegn by the throat with his strangulation device. Opposed grapple? Sep 27, 2024 5:44 am
OOC:
These guys are pretty wary, and I'm picturing Anora having been out front -- so Aldric and Dufgal were behind her, and in front of Utherl. To approach and garrote him most effectively (and get the 3d4 damage), you'll need to surprise him. I think that's closest to Hide in Shadows -- basically him not seeing you coming. Make that test, but the DC is 20. If you pass, also make a Backstab attack roll. If you fail, make a normal attack roll...Still leaving room for Aldric too, but right after these, if they are still on their feet -- we'll be rolling Initiative.
Sep 27, 2024 6:21 am
One moment they were celebrating, the next Anora was being shoved by one of the Jarl's assholes.
Seeing Dufgal leap to the fore, Aldric beseaches Pelagia to infuse him with holy retribution!
Or not! Disapproval +1
Seeing Dufgal leap to the fore, Aldric beseaches Pelagia to infuse him with holy retribution!
OOC:
Casting Bless, attempting to target the mighty Dufgal, champion of Pelagia!Or not! Disapproval +1
Last edited September 27, 2024 6:22 am
Rolls
Bless spell check - (1d20+2)
(3) + 2 = 5
Sep 27, 2024 2:03 pm
Dufgal is full of purpose, but the man was already watching him. The thief was going to try and get the position of advantage anyway.
OOC:
Crit result is perfect: Strike severs larynx. Foe is reduced to making wet fish noises.Last edited September 27, 2024 2:08 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Hide in shadows (Agil) - (1d20+3)
(8) + 3 = 11
Attack roll - (1d20+3)
(20) + 3 = 23
Dufgal: Crit Roll - (1d14)
(11) = 11
Dufgal: Garotte* - Damage - (1d1+1)
(1) + 1 = 2
Sep 28, 2024 4:55 am
The blind beggar's sharp eyes, distracted with the shadows that hunt him, witness now the chaos humanity is capable of. Many things happen at once.
Dufgal moves with purpose towards the man who'd put Anora on the ground; he's stowed his prize and in his hands instead? A wire or cord. A murderer's weapon.
Aldric sees that their companion is on the move, but the man's benediction results only in his spewing seawater... evidently his bitch of a goddess misliked whatever it was he was asking of her.
And Anora the Blue -- the woman is back on her feet after being knocked on her rump, and her spellweaving washes over the two Thegns even as Dufgal attacks the man violently, slipping his garrote around the man's throat. He is in the midst of choking when the wizardess's spell begins to rob him of his senses. The other Thegn, too, falls unconscious to the ground.
What's the interrupt condition? Also, roll 1d6 to see how many turns these guys are out.
Dufgal moves with purpose towards the man who'd put Anora on the ground; he's stowed his prize and in his hands instead? A wire or cord. A murderer's weapon.
Aldric sees that their companion is on the move, but the man's benediction results only in his spewing seawater... evidently his bitch of a goddess misliked whatever it was he was asking of her.
And Anora the Blue -- the woman is back on her feet after being knocked on her rump, and her spellweaving washes over the two Thegns even as Dufgal attacks the man violently, slipping his garrote around the man's throat. He is in the midst of choking when the wizardess's spell begins to rob him of his senses. The other Thegn, too, falls unconscious to the ground.
OOC:
KCC, note this:Quote:
Up to two targets within range must save or fall asleep for 1d6 turns. Targets can be awakened through normal means. When casting the spell, the caster must specify an interrupt condition which automatically awakens the target. For example, being kissed by a prince, smelling the fragrance of a rose, or hearing a clock strike midnight. The caster must possess material components related to the interrupt condition.Rolls
Utherl Will Save - (1d20+1)
(13) + 1 = 14
Ofenloch Will Save - (1d20+1)
(6) + 1 = 7
Sep 28, 2024 10:51 pm
Aldric begins to spit the seawater from his mouth - damn it all, Bitch Queen!! He is forced to stand and watch as Dufgal valiantly murders Anora's assailant without the Sea Bitch's blessing, only to see Anora put the lot of them to sleep!
He eyes the other Thegns and townsfolk intently, seeing what their reaction to all this is.
He eyes the other Thegns and townsfolk intently, seeing what their reaction to all this is.
Last edited September 28, 2024 11:02 pm
Sep 29, 2024 2:58 am
OOC:
Okay, here's what we're gonna do. There are potentially a -lot- of witnesses to this... and if you're *extremely* lucky, there are potentially none! Many townsfolk are back in their homes with the windows shuttered. But -- there are still the occupants of the church, there are the Thegns guarding the lottery box.So here's what we're gonna do... each of you make a Luck roll. (d20, hit or roll under your current Luck score.)
On four successes: No one saw a thing!
On three successes: One of the brothers slips from the darkness in the church and witnesses your actions.
On two successes: A few townsfolk, from behind their shutters and curtains, witness the events. Will they speak up?
On one success: The Thegns near the box see that there's a commotion, but perhaps don't see it perfectly clearly. Wee Tocs does.
On zero successes: Several townsfolk, Father Beacom, both Thegns near the box and Morgan's father all witness the events clearly.
Cool? Also, now is the time to, say, beseech deities, invoke Patrons... or just let the dice fall where they may!
Sep 29, 2024 3:22 am
Dufgal has never felt particularly lucky. Ever. But that’s starting to change.
Last edited September 29, 2024 3:23 am
Rolls
Rolling them bones (vs 7) - (1d20)
(4) = 4
Sep 29, 2024 2:46 pm
Being a crawling, lowly servant hadn't been working too well for Aldric, he realized. Maybe Pelagia liked her witnesses to obey her every command with a bit more spine.
He beseaches her, growling beneath his breath like a fisherman trying to reel in a fish that's too heavy for his line.
"Pelagia, I have done as you wish... I am putting my balls in the vice, in more ways than one! Give us a nudge, Sea Bitch, give us a fucking nudge."
He pulls his oar close to his chest, pressing the thrice-rolling wave against his heart, and mutters the incantation that The Bitch Queen provided him for this day.
He beseaches her, growling beneath his breath like a fisherman trying to reel in a fish that's too heavy for his line.
"Pelagia, I have done as you wish... I am putting my balls in the vice, in more ways than one! Give us a nudge, Sea Bitch, give us a fucking nudge."
He pulls his oar close to his chest, pressing the thrice-rolling wave against his heart, and mutters the incantation that The Bitch Queen provided him for this day.
OOC:
Casting Blessing! Oh for fuck's sake, Pelagia! No need to burn luck, +1 disapproval PELAGIA DISAPPROVESLast edited September 29, 2024 4:37 pm
Rolls
Blessing spell check - (1d20+2)
(2) + 2 = 4
Luck roll (either 5 or 6 depending) - (1d20)
(20) = 20
disapproval 3 - (3d4)
(144) = 9
Sep 29, 2024 3:23 pm
Anora desperately motions for Dufgal to wait. The man had no mind for the arcane arts, and so couldn’t know that she had just…
She swallows the shout she is about to let loose for the man to wait but another moment for the spell to take effect. The cord is around the thegn’s neck, and Anora looks away. Quiet, so that she might survive at least a little longer…
She swallows the shout she is about to let loose for the man to wait but another moment for the spell to take effect. The cord is around the thegn’s neck, and Anora looks away. Quiet, so that she might survive at least a little longer…
Sep 29, 2024 3:34 pm
Lord, what fools these mortals be.
Tyravasiel-Llir watches it all unfold. With his elf eyes, pure green like the hue of a summer forest, it all seems to move just a little more slowly. Each detail is a smidge more precise, each developing movement just that tiny bit more horrifying.
There's Anora the Blue going onto her rump, and the haughty thegn pushing past her towards the church. There's Dufgal, slipping up with a loop of wire in his hands. Aldric the Pelagian, muttering to himself, fruitlessly touching his chest with his Three-Wave-Oar. Anora springing up again, indignant; her hand is out, there is sorcery in the air and the thegns are tumbling... one strangled...
Ty's mouth hangs open.
Slowly-- too slowly, he swivels his head toward the village square below them. Has anyone taken note of this fray?
Tyravasiel-Llir watches it all unfold. With his elf eyes, pure green like the hue of a summer forest, it all seems to move just a little more slowly. Each detail is a smidge more precise, each developing movement just that tiny bit more horrifying.
There's Anora the Blue going onto her rump, and the haughty thegn pushing past her towards the church. There's Dufgal, slipping up with a loop of wire in his hands. Aldric the Pelagian, muttering to himself, fruitlessly touching his chest with his Three-Wave-Oar. Anora springing up again, indignant; her hand is out, there is sorcery in the air and the thegns are tumbling... one strangled...
Ty's mouth hangs open.
Slowly-- too slowly, he swivels his head toward the village square below them. Has anyone taken note of this fray?
Rolls
Luck Check (7) - (1d20)
(14) = 14
Sep 30, 2024 5:12 am
OOC:
After much discussion in the Discord... looks like we've landed with just Dufgal's success.Quote:
On one success: The Thegns near the box see that there's a commotion, but perhaps don't see it perfectly clearly. Wee Tocs does.Morgan Haverson
Unable to breath, the powerful Thegn suddenly thrashes and fights against both Anora's magic and Dufgal's strength, reaching up to try and drive his fingers between the garotte and his windpipe. His mouth opens, but no sound comes.
Thegns
Ty looks, and he sees. Two other Thegns, the ones guarding the box, they have noticed this commotion outside the church and shouts go up from them as they first try to make sense of what they are seeing at this distance, then they are drawing weapons and hurrying to the aid of their beset fellows!
OOC:
Aldric, remember your Disapproval result...[ +- ] 9 on the Disapproval Table
Now let's roll Initiative: 1d20 + your Initiative mod!
Questions?
Sep 30, 2024 1:38 pm
Dufgal considers himself an accidental murderer. Even in this case, he means to gain leverage rather commit a murder in cold blood. However, he also has very little experience with adrenaline.
Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(14) + 1 = 15
Sep 30, 2024 3:06 pm
Aldric is left with an intense, crippling pain in his back after Pelagia denies him his blessing. He has a distinct feeling that he was wrong about spine as he tries to hobble away from the action, only to find himself wading through invisible waters, dragging at him, pulling him down.
The exertion he experienced at the mercy of the crone's insatiable hips helped not one gods-damned bit as he struggles against the unseen current. And, on top of it all, his fucking armor squeaked, drawing even more attention!
"For fuck's sake!" he curses, walking with the wide gait of a man fording a river. "I plan to see this cunt sore of a day through, and woe to all who stand in my fucking way!"
He digs the butt of his oar into the muddy ground and pulls himself with his waning strength as if his life depended on it (as it surely did).
The exertion he experienced at the mercy of the crone's insatiable hips helped not one gods-damned bit as he struggles against the unseen current. And, on top of it all, his fucking armor squeaked, drawing even more attention!
"For fuck's sake!" he curses, walking with the wide gait of a man fording a river. "I plan to see this cunt sore of a day through, and woe to all who stand in my fucking way!"
He digs the butt of his oar into the muddy ground and pulls himself with his waning strength as if his life depended on it (as it surely did).
Rolls
Initiative - (1d20-2)
(17) - 2 = 15
Oct 1, 2024 2:27 am
When he sees the thegns in the square start toward them, wrestling weapons from their scabbards and bindings, Tyravasiel spits a blistering elvish curse. To the human ear, it is both gibberish and arrestingly beautiful-- as most things elvish tend to be.
"We've been seen, my good friends," he declares. "Let us all join hands now, and back with us into Justicia's church." Ty himself snatches Morgan's, as the softest on offer and attached to the most pleasing parts. And of course as someone unused to violence, she'll require the most guidance. That's what he'll tell anyone if they ask.
"We'll seek another exit," the elf explains. "Father Aldric's darkness is nothing to me. For... I am already blind. You see."
Fuck it.
And off he sets, back to the church doors.
"We've been seen, my good friends," he declares. "Let us all join hands now, and back with us into Justicia's church." Ty himself snatches Morgan's, as the softest on offer and attached to the most pleasing parts. And of course as someone unused to violence, she'll require the most guidance. That's what he'll tell anyone if they ask.
"We'll seek another exit," the elf explains. "Father Aldric's darkness is nothing to me. For... I am already blind. You see."
Fuck it.
And off he sets, back to the church doors.
Rolls
Initiative - (1d20+1)
(6) + 1 = 7
Oct 1, 2024 5:26 am
OOC:
Not a lot of time tonight, but I’ll at least get init rolled for the Thegns…Looks to me like a bunch of 15s, then Ty, then Morgan. On ties, the first tiebreaker is Agility — which means Anora and Dufgal go before the Thegns. Aldric, why did you add the -2 to your init? If that was a goof, you go before them as well. If it was correct and you got a 15, you’ll act after the Thegns with your current AGI.
Rolls
Thegns Init - (1d20+1)
(14) + 1 = 15
Morgan’s Init - (1d20-2)
(3) - 2 = 1
Oct 1, 2024 3:15 pm
Dufgal hears the plan coming together, but it is unclear how the man in his mercy factors into the plan. He starts backing toward the magical darkness and drags the man with him.
OOC:
Let me know what rolls are needed as I’m sure he will not go willingly. Oct 5, 2024 7:21 am
Anora is going to rush off into the darkness, trusting that Ty will guide them through when he gathers his wits!
OOC:
Should have made this obvious! Going with the back door routine by Ty!Oct 7, 2024 1:08 am
OOC:
Alright, taking stock before I officially fire this up.ROUND 1
As the Thegns notice the commotion, and as the party notices them noticing...
Initiative Order: Anora, Dufgal, Thegns (distance to front of church: 80'), Aldric, Ty, Morgan
Oct 7, 2024 1:26 am
Anora is first to gather her wits at Ty's prompting, at his notion of slipping back into the Church of Justicia so that they might misdirect and lose their pursuers. She passes by Dufgal, who still has the one Thegn, Utherl, by the throat. He looks to be trying to drag the sputtering, half-conscious man with him into the church, but that is all Anora sees before she passes through the door as is enveloped in a darkness as complete as if she'd had a bag put over her head!
"Who comes?!" Father Beacom bellows when he hears the door. "A curse on those who would desecrate this hallowed hall! A pox on your eyes, and on your spawn!"
Outside, the two burly warriors who were watching the strong box have crossed half the distance to the church. "Haltr!" one of them cries, while the other shouts louder. "Stop! Stay where you are, strangers!"
After Dufgal goes, Aldric and Ty are up.
Father Beacom
Thegns
OOC:
Dufgal is up. You can slip into the church just like Anora did... but if you want to drag your captive with you, you'll need to pass a DC 10 STR check!After Dufgal goes, Aldric and Ty are up.
Oct 7, 2024 4:26 am
"It is I Anora, Father Deacom. Save your poxes for another. There are plenty enough who deserve them! Something dreadful has come over this place this morning!" she says, summoning both fear and innocence to her voice there in the dark!
Oct 7, 2024 5:16 am
Not quite seeing the big picture, Dufgal simply carries on with his current task. He shifts his grip a bit so he can free up one arm for the dragging part.
Rolls
Dufgal: drag strength - Roll - (1d20+1)
(17) + 1 = 18
Oct 8, 2024 2:41 am
Dufgal drags the spluttering and gasping Thegn into the church right behind Anora -- and finds himself blinded again by that same stinking dark that concealed his theft before...
OOC:
Success for Dulgal. Aldric and Ty are up! I think Ty said in Discord he was grabbing Morgan and absconding with her inside the church.Oct 8, 2024 4:35 am
Aldric continues to struggle toward the church, fighting against the invisible current, desperate to plunge into the protection of Pelagia's inky darkness.
If he manages to get inside, he uses his oar the way a blind man uses a cane, trying to avoid running headlong into anything.
He decides to let Anora do the talking for a change. "Anora the Blue, indeed!" he chuckles, some joke only he understands.
If he manages to get inside, he uses his oar the way a blind man uses a cane, trying to avoid running headlong into anything.
He decides to let Anora do the talking for a change. "Anora the Blue, indeed!" he chuckles, some joke only he understands.
Oct 8, 2024 5:25 am
OOC:
Aldric can make it inside if that's the only thing he does this round, even with the 5' movement penalty.Oct 10, 2024 7:43 am
Morgan squeaks but does not really resist when Tyravasiel-Llir lifts her and bears her back into the church, behind Aldric... who seems to be sloshing through the air with each step he takes. Ty is much taller than the barmaid, whose feet dangle from her skirts like a bell clapper.
Inside the building, only the elf can see through Pelagia's odiferous miasma. The two brothers have tried to gather with Beacom, moving towards the sound of his voice as the priest, who stands in the middle of the nave where the congregation gathers, responds to Anora.
"My Lady Anora, my name is Beacom, not Deacom," the man says, his tone changing subtly when he realizes just who has re-entered his church.
"But yes, something dreadful indeed! I suspect your foul companions! I do not know why a woman of import associates with them! What have they done!?"
ROUND 2
Same init order; it's likely the two Thegns outside will keep running and arrive at the front door you just all slipped into. What's the plan? Feel free to discuss in Discord.
Initiative Order: Anora, Dufgal, Thegns (distance to front of church: 40'), Aldric, Ty, Morgan
Father Beacom
"My Lady Anora, my name is Beacom, not Deacom," the man says, his tone changing subtly when he realizes just who has re-entered his church.
"But yes, something dreadful indeed! I suspect your foul companions! I do not know why a woman of import associates with them! What have they done!?"
ROUND 2
Same init order; it's likely the two Thegns outside will keep running and arrive at the front door you just all slipped into. What's the plan? Feel free to discuss in Discord.
Initiative Order: Anora, Dufgal, Thegns (distance to front of church: 40'), Aldric, Ty, Morgan
Oct 11, 2024 6:39 am
"Forgive me, Father! It has been a most taxing morning!" Anora says, unsteadily moving forward to where she thinks she remembers the door to be!
"The guards are on their way, Father Beacom." she says, dodging implying an guilt on the part of the companions. She shuffles forward, waiting for the elf to put a commanding hand on her shoulder and to guide her forward!
"The guards are on their way, Father Beacom." she says, dodging implying an guilt on the part of the companions. She shuffles forward, waiting for the elf to put a commanding hand on her shoulder and to guide her forward!
Oct 11, 2024 1:58 pm
Figuring he’d fare better walking forward than backwards, unencumbered than toting this soldier, Dufgal whispers in the thegn’s ear, "it’s good fing you’se can’t squeal." And then drops him a few feet into the darkness. The thick thief turns, takes a mindful moment to recall his memorization of the room layout, then makes his careful way toward the back right corner.
OOC:
He’s hoping to leave an obstacle for the thegns who follow. Dufgal assumes that they will find him and stop to either help or figure out what happened. Last edited October 11, 2024 1:59 pm
Oct 12, 2024 5:45 am
Father Beacom
Outside the two shouting Thegns hurrying over from the now unprotected lockbox arrive at the church's front doors.
OOC:
Aldric, Ty, Morgan are up. You're all in the church, in the dark. Only Ty can see.Anora and Dufgal, if you're striking off on your own (and I think you are), please make INT test to try and remember the layout of the church. The DC is 10, but Dufgal gets +1d for a d24 Action Die because he's already navigated this space in the dark once before.
ROUND 2
Initiative Order: Anora, Dufgal, Thegns (now outside the church), Aldric, Ty, Morgan
Utherl
Oct 12, 2024 5:51 am
Utherl
Oct 12, 2024 5:55 am
Trying to remember the steps in the right order, at least to the center… It seems easy enough. After all, Dufgal spent many nights wandering through the dark woods behind his father’s home.
Last edited October 12, 2024 5:56 am
Rolls
Int check - (1d24)
(15) = 15
Oct 12, 2024 2:16 pm
Aldric imagines himself navigating a sea of black ink. He searches for the rows of pews and the aisles that cut through them... He tries to see through his third eye to find Dufgal's new hammer as use it as a beacon to follow.
Last edited October 12, 2024 2:19 pm
Rolls
Int Check - (1d20)
(10) = 10
Oct 12, 2024 3:07 pm
OOC:
Just for clarity here in terms of the unholding action, these successes will mean you can emerge from the darkness, north of the altar, at the beginning of next round.Edit: And Ty, if you're going to try the same thing, I'll give you +1d (for a d24) on the check if you allow Morgan to help navigate. (Set her down, go hand in hand, etc.)
Better edit: Ty can see in this magical gloom, so no roll required! He can lead Boobie McBoobster and Mystic Hairdo to safety!
Oct 12, 2024 3:39 pm
Tyravasiel-Llir sets Morgan gently on her feet, then takes her hand.
"Briskly now, well-bosomed miss, and keep hold," he tells her. Peering through Aldric's enchantment-- which strikes his elf eyes as nothing more than an oily film in the air-- he sights Anora several steps ahead and leads Morgan Haverson towards her. When he reaches the tall-haired sorceress, he places his free hand firmly upon her shoulder.
"Let us go, then, ladies. Have no fear of the dark." Ty thinks a moment, then adds, "Pelagia is with us."
There was more than a little evidence to the contrary. But Tyravasiel thought it a charitable thing to say, for Aldric's sake.
Leading Morgan by the hand, and guiding Anora by the touch on her shoulder, Ty steers gracefully around Father Beacom and his fumbling acolytes. Elusive as phantoms in the black, they are soon across Justicia's church and into the clear light around the altar.
"Briskly now, well-bosomed miss, and keep hold," he tells her. Peering through Aldric's enchantment-- which strikes his elf eyes as nothing more than an oily film in the air-- he sights Anora several steps ahead and leads Morgan Haverson towards her. When he reaches the tall-haired sorceress, he places his free hand firmly upon her shoulder.
"Let us go, then, ladies. Have no fear of the dark." Ty thinks a moment, then adds, "Pelagia is with us."
There was more than a little evidence to the contrary. But Tyravasiel thought it a charitable thing to say, for Aldric's sake.
Leading Morgan by the hand, and guiding Anora by the touch on her shoulder, Ty steers gracefully around Father Beacom and his fumbling acolytes. Elusive as phantoms in the black, they are soon across Justicia's church and into the clear light around the altar.
Last edited October 12, 2024 3:40 pm
Father Beacom
Oct 12, 2024 4:13 pm
ROUND 3
Initiative Order: Anora, Dufgal, Thegns (entering the church), Beacom, Aldric, Ty, Morgan
Leading Anora and Morgan free of Pelagia's foul-smelling murk, Ty sees the priest craning his neck, cocking his head as he listens to the footfalls in his church, and the gurgles of the man Dufgal has now released. He's fallen back closer to his altar and the curtained box the party's thief has already robbed, and there he stands, trying to make sense of it all.
"Lady Anora, where are you?" he calls out as the trio moves past him, just scant yards away.
Ahead of them, Dufgal and Aldric have already moved out of the dark, into the back area of the church. They have spied a vestry behind the apse, and suspect there must be a door leading outside nearby.
Aldric: Roll 1d5+1d6+1d7 and add your Luck Modifier to see how much longer the darkness will last, in rounds.
Everyone: in addition to your actions, if you're trying to move quietly please make an Agility check (1d20+AGI Mod) vs. DC 10. If less than half the party passes, it will be obvious from your sounds that you have moved behind the altar.
At the front of the church, the door bangs open and exclamations can be heard from the two pursuing Thegns. They take a few steps inside and seem immediately befuddled by the darkness, but Father Beacom calls out to them.
"Guards! Praise Justicia! Your strong arms are needed! You must pierce this dark and find and detain those responsible for this horrid debasement! I believe it is the strangers who have come to town who are responsible! Except for the Lady Anora, the beautiful woman with the elaborate hair! Do not mishandle her!"
Initiative Order: Anora, Dufgal, Thegns (entering the church), Beacom, Aldric, Ty, Morgan
Leading Anora and Morgan free of Pelagia's foul-smelling murk, Ty sees the priest craning his neck, cocking his head as he listens to the footfalls in his church, and the gurgles of the man Dufgal has now released. He's fallen back closer to his altar and the curtained box the party's thief has already robbed, and there he stands, trying to make sense of it all.
Father Beacom
Ahead of them, Dufgal and Aldric have already moved out of the dark, into the back area of the church. They have spied a vestry behind the apse, and suspect there must be a door leading outside nearby.
OOC:
Anora and Dufgal are up first, but to make this simpler I'll take action for the NPCs now, as their movements are cautious, simple ones. Then you can all just go.Aldric: Roll 1d5+1d6+1d7 and add your Luck Modifier to see how much longer the darkness will last, in rounds.
Everyone: in addition to your actions, if you're trying to move quietly please make an Agility check (1d20+AGI Mod) vs. DC 10. If less than half the party passes, it will be obvious from your sounds that you have moved behind the altar.
"Guards! Praise Justicia! Your strong arms are needed! You must pierce this dark and find and detain those responsible for this horrid debasement! I believe it is the strangers who have come to town who are responsible! Except for the Lady Anora, the beautiful woman with the elaborate hair! Do not mishandle her!"
OOC:
Okay, as this has unfolded there's some distraction going on. Make those Agility / stealth checks at +1d, so roll a d24. Regardless of the outcome of the move-silently rolls, it'll be easy enough to find an exist and get everyone just outside this round. For narration purposes, just put the door somewhere in the rear section of the church.
Morgan Haverson
Oct 12, 2024 4:17 pm
Morgan Haverson
Oct 12, 2024 6:52 pm
Aldric continues to push against the unseen current and the inky blackness, feeling his way to the other side where the back exit may prove to be their only salvation. He makes no effort in combat tactics, giving his sorry physical and spiritual state, and focuses all his effort on staying quiet and getting the fuck across!
In the blackness, devoid of all sight, his addled mind begins to fill the void. He tries to banish thoughts of being trapped so deep beneath the sea that light does not penetrate to those depths! Is this what is in store for him should his soul be bound to Pelagia for all time? He feels like she is there in the darkness beneath him, like a massive whale about to swallow him whole. The sheer terror of this thought motivates him like nothing else.
In the blackness, devoid of all sight, his addled mind begins to fill the void. He tries to banish thoughts of being trapped so deep beneath the sea that light does not penetrate to those depths! Is this what is in store for him should his soul be bound to Pelagia for all time? He feels like she is there in the darkness beneath him, like a massive whale about to swallow him whole. The sheer terror of this thought motivates him like nothing else.
Last edited October 12, 2024 6:53 pm
Rolls
Darkness duration - (1d5+1d6+1d7-1)
(2) + (4) + (3) - 1 = 8
Stealthy striding (DC 10) - (1d20+0)
(20) = 20
Oct 12, 2024 11:33 pm
Dufgal, grateful to be clear of the darkness without incident, next looks to the door at the back of the church. He heads straight for it and efforts to open it silently, so he does all this with his utmost care.
Last edited October 12, 2024 11:34 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Sneak silently (Agil) - (1d24+5)
(22) + 5 = 27
Oct 13, 2024 12:30 pm
Anora smothers the temptation to further the misdirect, and remains quiet when the Father calls for her! It does give her some peace of mind to hear him call for her to be treated with some care.
If nothing else, Anora the Blue would crawl free from this Hirotian hole…
"Quick! To the Crone’s hovel! It would be foolish to remain in public!"
If nothing else, Anora the Blue would crawl free from this Hirotian hole…
"Quick! To the Crone’s hovel! It would be foolish to remain in public!"
Last edited October 13, 2024 12:35 pm
Rolls
Agility! - (1d20)
(14) = 14
Oct 13, 2024 5:09 pm
Ty skirts Father Beacom's little congregation and sails through the darkness with elfin grace. The contrast of that movement with his blindfold and shabby beggar's weeds would be striking, if anyone but himself were able to see it.
That was usually the way, with humans.
Having shepherded Morgan and Anora through the Pelagian's black stink, Ty turns to the former. "Those men might not appreciate you in this moment, young madam," he warns. But if a flyspeck female wants to risk a beating from a flyspeck male, then really, what business is that of Ty's? "But you are your own mistress in this, as in all things. Good fortune to you!"
Then addressing the latter, the elf puts in, "Before I meet your crone, I want to have a look at that lock box. If we've done this right, then it'll be unguarded now."
Tyravasiel-Llir scans about for any rear exit that presents itself, then dashes towards it. He plans to scamper round into the market square for a view of the box, and imagines that even with this bit of misdirection, his time will be short.
That was usually the way, with humans.
Having shepherded Morgan and Anora through the Pelagian's black stink, Ty turns to the former. "Those men might not appreciate you in this moment, young madam," he warns. But if a flyspeck female wants to risk a beating from a flyspeck male, then really, what business is that of Ty's? "But you are your own mistress in this, as in all things. Good fortune to you!"
Then addressing the latter, the elf puts in, "Before I meet your crone, I want to have a look at that lock box. If we've done this right, then it'll be unguarded now."
Tyravasiel-Llir scans about for any rear exit that presents itself, then dashes towards it. He plans to scamper round into the market square for a view of the box, and imagines that even with this bit of misdirection, his time will be short.
Last edited October 13, 2024 5:21 pm
Rolls
Stealth Check - (1d24+1)
(13) + 1 = 14
Oct 13, 2024 5:24 pm
OOC:
Counting Aldric's 20 as two successes, the group easily passes the sneak-away quietly test.Just Ty to act -- and he has a decision to make regarding Morgan's idea.
Oct 13, 2024 7:40 pm
Aldric hears Anora's suggestion to return to Ymae's hut and shudders. "Out of the gods-damned frying pan and into the fucking fire!" he exclaims, thinking back to that entity that he sensed behind her. Despite that chilling memory, he reasoned it was probably the safest spot left in Hirot, now that they had crossed the line on assaulting the Thegns and pissing black ink all over the church. They had no other choice, short of running out the town gate and into the woods.
But, Ty's suggestion of examining the lockbox was a stroke of genius and worth the risk. "Of course, Ty! If we discover something damning there - and we know that we will - we will unravel Sylle Ru's hold over this town, perhaps even turn the Jarl against him! Unless he's in on it, of course. Dangerous waters we tread."
But, Ty's suggestion of examining the lockbox was a stroke of genius and worth the risk. "Of course, Ty! If we discover something damning there - and we know that we will - we will unravel Sylle Ru's hold over this town, perhaps even turn the Jarl against him! Unless he's in on it, of course. Dangerous waters we tread."
Oct 13, 2024 10:15 pm
Figuring that the lock box is, well, locked, Dufgal checks his pockets to confirm with his fingers that he still has his set of picking tools and files with him. Finding them still tucked where he placed them, he tuttles off after Ty.
Last edited October 13, 2024 10:16 pm
Morgan Haverson
Oct 14, 2024 5:43 am
Morgan Haverson
Instead, as they all slip out the back, she says, "Yes! We should confront the Jarl with what you find, and rouse the townsfolk! I will fetch my father and men from the Wolf-Spear!"
Oct 14, 2024 6:42 am
OOC:
I imagine there are some villagers with eyes on the church and the market based on the hubub... but no other Thegns at the moment. If you're breaking for the box or doing something different -- have at it. You can narrate your way there and even start picking the lock (as discussed in Discord) before I need to weigh in.Also: Darkness Duration to 7 Rounds as you exit the church.
Oct 14, 2024 9:53 am
Anora sighs a sigh of relief as the woman decides against staying behind. She was undoubtedly brave, but naive and foolish also!
She tsks as the others seek to meddle further, but races along after them! If nothing else, she could offer her magic in their defense while they inspected the box.
The fact that it was they who should be following her did, however, occur to her as she raced from the darkness of the church!
She tsks as the others seek to meddle further, but races along after them! If nothing else, she could offer her magic in their defense while they inspected the box.
The fact that it was they who should be following her did, however, occur to her as she raced from the darkness of the church!
Last edited October 14, 2024 9:54 am
Oct 14, 2024 2:59 pm
Snickering to himself that their blind elf declared that he’d like to "have a look" at the lockbox, Dufgal dutifully scampers to it as swiftly as his stout legs would allow. He lays down his kit full of variously tipped tools and starts with the basic configuration that is supposed to work on any standard lock. Whether this was a standard lock or not remains to be determined.
With the tumbler found, the thief feels confident that the lock will pop open if it is indeed only a standard locking mechanism. If he had a free hand, he’d cross fingers.
With the tumbler found, the thief feels confident that the lock will pop open if it is indeed only a standard locking mechanism. If he had a free hand, he’d cross fingers.
Last edited October 14, 2024 3:01 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Pick lock (Agil) - (1d20+3)
(12) + 3 = 15
Oct 14, 2024 3:52 pm
As Aldric is moving toward the Ymae's hovel, fighting the invisible current, he directs the crowd's attention to the platform and stirs their emotions and their doubts.
"Let's see what is in that box, shall we? Sylle Ru has thrown many of your lives into the jaws of the hound on account of its contents; only fair we should see what's inside!
"Let's see what is in that box, shall we? Sylle Ru has thrown many of your lives into the jaws of the hound on account of its contents; only fair we should see what's inside!
Last edited October 14, 2024 3:52 pm
Oct 15, 2024 5:52 am
The group splits up after leaving the church via a back door. Sloshing Aldric makes for Ymae's, spreading his seditious gospel; the others move with pace to the locked box that seems at the center of all this. Off they go, the striding elf, the scampering rogue, the magnificently coifed wizardess in azure. Busty Morgan goes too, and like the priest she calls out to the people of Hirot, trying to gather their attention.
Let's do a Group Personality Check to determine if the crowd gathers or looks away! All four of you please roll PER vs. DC 10. One success will mean a few people quietly watch from a distance; four successes will mean you pull in a large crowd. Aldric, roll at +1d (d24) for actively stirring people up.
Dufgal, we'll get to your lockpicking after we determine who all is watching.
Darkness Duration in the church to 4 Rounds as you gather 'round the strongbox and Dufgal attempts to pick the lock.
OOC:
It takes two rounds to move from the back of the church to the market -- to the platform and the post where the locked trunk has been secured. Villagers see and hear the group reach the trunk, but will they watch, will they risk the Jarl's ire when they don't what it means to tamper with the their fates?Let's do a Group Personality Check to determine if the crowd gathers or looks away! All four of you please roll PER vs. DC 10. One success will mean a few people quietly watch from a distance; four successes will mean you pull in a large crowd. Aldric, roll at +1d (d24) for actively stirring people up.
Dufgal, we'll get to your lockpicking after we determine who all is watching.
Darkness Duration in the church to 4 Rounds as you gather 'round the strongbox and Dufgal attempts to pick the lock.
Oct 15, 2024 6:20 am
Aldric cackles as he passes by people, spreading the word of the event about to happen.
"The box that holds the fate of Hirot is about to be opened! What dirty secrets does it contain? What lies have been sold to you? Go to the square and find out if those doubts whispering in your ear at night are true!"
"The box that holds the fate of Hirot is about to be opened! What dirty secrets does it contain? What lies have been sold to you? Go to the square and find out if those doubts whispering in your ear at night are true!"
OOC:
+1 for PER, -2 because Bitch Queen is a bitch!Rolls
PER check - (1d24-1)
(1) - 1 = 0
Oct 15, 2024 6:29 am
Anora stands by as the others try to pry open the box. She tries her best to look confident… resolute.
Privately, the woman felt like the whole farce was coming to a head and their fates would be sealed with their next move… one way or the other!
She tries her best not to let it show on her face…
Privately, the woman felt like the whole farce was coming to a head and their fates would be sealed with their next move… one way or the other!
She tries her best not to let it show on her face…
OOC:
Roll!Last edited October 15, 2024 6:31 am
Rolls
1d20+1
(3) + 1 = 4
Oct 15, 2024 6:32 am
Not certain if he even wants an audience, Dufgal shrugs his shoulders as he sees the crowd being stirred. He figures that they will want to see what’s in the box even if not a one has had the courage to do what he is about to do.
Last edited October 15, 2024 6:33 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Personality - (1d20+0)
(20) = 20
Oct 15, 2024 12:38 pm
Standing on the platform while Dufgal tinkers with the lock, listening to Aldric and Morgan's declamations as they filter out through the village, it occurs to Ty that he may have oversold this scheme. At least a little.
It's just possible that Sylle Ru and the Jarl have been cleverer than he thought. That they've found some other way to rig the lottery, and the tiles in the box are normal-- at least, to all appearances. If so, then he and the humans he opportunistically calls his friends are about to open a lockbox full of embarrassment. And, very likely, death.
But they're in it now, he supposes. There's no way out but through.
"Gather before the platform, people of Hirot!" the elf caterwauls in a stringy, prophet's voice. "Gather as your Jarl has ordered you to do, so many times! You've been told that your fate awaits you in this box. Let us see what the Fates have in store for you today!"
It's just possible that Sylle Ru and the Jarl have been cleverer than he thought. That they've found some other way to rig the lottery, and the tiles in the box are normal-- at least, to all appearances. If so, then he and the humans he opportunistically calls his friends are about to open a lockbox full of embarrassment. And, very likely, death.
But they're in it now, he supposes. There's no way out but through.
"Gather before the platform, people of Hirot!" the elf caterwauls in a stringy, prophet's voice. "Gather as your Jarl has ordered you to do, so many times! You've been told that your fate awaits you in this box. Let us see what the Fates have in store for you today!"
Rolls
Personality Check - (1d20)
(18) = 18
Oct 16, 2024 7:09 am
OOC:
Apologies, heading to the con in the morning and will be slow / not posting for the next 5-6 days! Oh, and counting Dufgal's 20 as two successes, making three -- so you gather a big crowd!AT THE STRONGBOX
With Ty calling out to what is turning into a quickly gathering crowd of more than two dozen, Dufgal finds the heavy padlock child's play to open.
"What are you doing?! The Jarl will have your head!" someone shouts, but just as quickly there is an answer from another villager.
"Leave them be! Let's see what's inside this twice-cursed box once and for all!"
Morgan's father has limped to the stage, and several people recognizable to the strangers close in to see what they can see...
SOME DISTANCE AWAY
Behind the church, on the rugged path that leads down towards the witch's hut, Aldric bellows loudly... but the sound of a door slamming open and heavy, booted feet on the ground makes the man turn and look back at the church. One of the Thegns has emerged, and he points his war-axe at the cleric.
Kreig
"Hold, you bastard, so I can split your skull where you stand!" Kreig shouts as he runs for the other man. With his facial tattoos, heavy muscles and rough hide armor, the man is a brute and well known to be a fearsome fighter.
And he's coming!
OOC:
Sorry Aldric. There's your 1!Box group -- opening it up for all to see?
3 Rounds left for the Darkness in the Church.
Rolls
Which Thegn? - (1d5)
(1) = 1
Oct 16, 2024 6:17 pm
Once the lock pops, Dufgal removes the iron contraption and slowly cracks the box open just enough for him and Ty and Anora to peer in. He holds it there so it doesn’t fling all the way open nor does it slam shut. He looks from peer to peer, mostly ignoring the gathering crowd. If his crew wants them to know, that isn’t for him to decide.
Last edited October 16, 2024 6:18 pm
Oct 17, 2024 3:50 am
At this point, Aldric is pretty fucking sick of these assholes. He knows he can't outrun the bastard as he struggles against the current of Pelagia's piss. He also doubts he can best the idiot in a fight, given the state his body is in. So, he turns to meet the cunt with the drawings on his face, and his voice bellows with the strength of a preacher, echoing over the crowd:
"UH, A LITTLE HELP OVER HERE, PLEASE!" he calls out to his comrades.
And then, like a frightened octopus, he tries to shit out another darkness cloud to obscure himself.He lets out a loud, wet fart instead.
"UH, A LITTLE HELP OVER HERE, PLEASE!" he calls out to his comrades.
And then, like a frightened octopus, he tries to shit out another darkness cloud to obscure himself.
OOC:
Okay, I got another disapproval, rolling a raw 5 when disapproval is at 5.Last edited October 17, 2024 3:52 am
Rolls
Darkness spell check (and you can fuck right off, Pelagia, with your shitty luck!) - (1d20+0)
(5) = 5
Oct 17, 2024 9:35 am
OOC:
Given that Aldric called out, this might not be necessary! Rolls
Luck! (1) - (1d20)
(16) = 16
Oct 17, 2024 9:37 am
Despite trying to stand apart, as if she was merely a spectator of the proceedings in the square, when the box is opened Anora takes a step forward to look inside!
If that incriminated her, then so be it!
If that incriminated her, then so be it!
OOC:
Should wait to see what we see before giving the go ahead for everyone else to see?Last edited October 17, 2024 9:37 am
Oct 17, 2024 1:05 pm
The Three Fates really can be petty bitches.
Here is Ty, about to execute their mystical command, out of the decency of his own heart and his preference to avoid an agonizing death at the hands of the Faerie Lady who pursues him. And at that very moment, the Fates choose to bring the Pelagian priest's plight to his ears. As if to say, help your comrade, Ty! It's the right thing to do!
The right thing. He really has been too long among humans.
With a sigh, Tyravasiel-Llir mutters to Dufgal and Anora, "I'll see what he's on about." Then, abandoning any pretense of blindness, the elf tucks his 'cane' under his arm, leaps from the platform and scampers off in the direction of Aldric's bleating.
Here is Ty, about to execute their mystical command, out of the decency of his own heart and his preference to avoid an agonizing death at the hands of the Faerie Lady who pursues him. And at that very moment, the Fates choose to bring the Pelagian priest's plight to his ears. As if to say, help your comrade, Ty! It's the right thing to do!
The right thing. He really has been too long among humans.
With a sigh, Tyravasiel-Llir mutters to Dufgal and Anora, "I'll see what he's on about." Then, abandoning any pretense of blindness, the elf tucks his 'cane' under his arm, leaps from the platform and scampers off in the direction of Aldric's bleating.
Oct 21, 2024 1:58 am
AT THE STRONGBOX
As Dufgal removes the lock and opens the box a crack, Ty hears Aldric’s call and rushes off, pushing through the gathering crowd before he sees the bedraggled priest and and angry Thegn pursuing him. As he goes, hoping to reach the watery witness in time, Anora and Dufgal peer into the strongbox.
Inside are almost two hundred folded pieces of parchment, surely each bearing the name of a villager… or perhaps a visitor. But in the center and on top of that pile of vellum rests another box — a shallow, much smaller one, open-topped and easy to reach through the slot in the top of the strong box. And in that smaller box? A single lottery slip, folded in half like the others.
"What is it?! What do you see?!" calls someone from the crowd. Broegan is close at hand and pressing after his daughter leaves a few urgent words in his ear. Dolsten and Lloré onlook as well, as do some of Wee Tocs’s confederates…
As Dufgal removes the lock and opens the box a crack, Ty hears Aldric’s call and rushes off, pushing through the gathering crowd before he sees the bedraggled priest and and angry Thegn pursuing him. As he goes, hoping to reach the watery witness in time, Anora and Dufgal peer into the strongbox.
Inside are almost two hundred folded pieces of parchment, surely each bearing the name of a villager… or perhaps a visitor. But in the center and on top of that pile of vellum rests another box — a shallow, much smaller one, open-topped and easy to reach through the slot in the top of the strong box. And in that smaller box? A single lottery slip, folded in half like the others.
"What is it?! What do you see?!" calls someone from the crowd. Broegan is close at hand and pressing after his daughter leaves a few urgent words in his ear. Dolsten and Lloré onlook as well, as do some of Wee Tocs’s confederates…
Oct 21, 2024 2:05 am
SOME DISTANCE AWAY
Behind the church, half-way to Ymae’s… a watery fart leaks and burbles from Aldric’s ass, sure sign from the Sea-Bitch that she will not intervene.
Seeing that Aldric is not running, and has in fact turned to meet him, Kreig slows his pace a little as the distance closes…
Behind the church, half-way to Ymae’s… a watery fart leaks and burbles from Aldric’s ass, sure sign from the Sea-Bitch that she will not intervene.
Kreig
OOC:
Ty, let’s see a DEX check vs. DC 10 to intercede in time…Oct 21, 2024 2:29 am
OOC:
Child's play for an excellent dice roller like myself!Rolls
Agility Check (+1) - (1d20+1)
(18) + 1 = 19
Oct 21, 2024 3:41 am
OOC:
Right, while the others react to what they find in the box, what does Ty do, now knowing you can intercept or otherwise intervene…Oct 21, 2024 4:20 am
With one hand holding the top, Dufgal reaches his other hand for the singular folded paper and holds it up for Anora to read. He is not ashamed that he cannot read. It has always occurred to him as something that only the wealthy could do.
Oct 21, 2024 8:06 am
Anora grasps up the paper and waits for quiet to descend on the crowd. She fishes up a few more of the more ordinary pieces also and passes them out to those gathered, while the hush comes over the gathering.
When she is sure she can be heard, she starts:
"Secreted within the box is a single piece of paper! I think now that we see the ruse, do we not? Read those pieces of parchment I have passed around. You may find your own names there.
But…"
She pauses for dramatic effect.
"The lottery is anything but random. Dufgal here found a name set apart from the others. The Jarl, or perhaps Sylle Ru, surely select the candidate in advance! Check for yourselves!
Who is the sacrificial lamb tonight?" she invites them, as she unfolds the single piece of paper and reveals the name to be…
When she is sure she can be heard, she starts:
"Secreted within the box is a single piece of paper! I think now that we see the ruse, do we not? Read those pieces of parchment I have passed around. You may find your own names there.
But…"
She pauses for dramatic effect.
"The lottery is anything but random. Dufgal here found a name set apart from the others. The Jarl, or perhaps Sylle Ru, surely select the candidate in advance! Check for yourselves!
Who is the sacrificial lamb tonight?" she invites them, as she unfolds the single piece of paper and reveals the name to be…
Last edited October 21, 2024 8:12 am
Oct 23, 2024 12:18 am
OOC:
Disapproval roll! Looks like I lose a random spell. I'll roll 1d4 against my alphabetically sorted list of spells... and 2 nixes my Darkness spell, how fitting.[ +- ] Pelagian Disapproval Table
Fuck, now what!? I can't outrun this bastard, with my waterlogged legs! I can't fight him with my oversexed muscles! I can't even pray for help, my fucking Goddess hates me so much!
Last edited October 23, 2024 12:23 am
Rolls
Disapproval failed with a roll of 5! - (5d4)
(34331) = 14
Which spell do I lose for the rest of the day? - (1d4)
(2) = 2
Oct 23, 2024 6:36 am
OOC:
Aldric, I'm not too fussed if you want to keep the above result, or re-jigger it for the #14 entry that JudgeCRO posted in the Discord. Either way, before going farther with the Thegn's action Ty will have a chance to act.Group at the box, shall I presume you opened it up and paused dramatically and long enough to others (rather than just yourself) to see the basics of this scam? Imma presume yes.
Oct 23, 2024 6:43 am
AT THE STRONGBOX
The crowd, boisterous and outraged at the sight of the box-within-the-box, quiets instantly and utterly when Anora takes the folded card, the one from the second, hidden, box.
She glimpses the name before anyone, and it is her own name! The card reads Anora the Blue !
The crowd, boisterous and outraged at the sight of the box-within-the-box, quiets instantly and utterly when Anora takes the folded card, the one from the second, hidden, box.
She glimpses the name before anyone, and it is her own name! The card reads Anora the Blue !
Oct 24, 2024 3:57 am
Ty rounds the church once more and dashes into the street behind Kreig. He takes but a moment to assess the scene: the burly thegn, the priest who seems to be sloshing through a lake of air. Then Tyravasiel-Llir swings his arms wide, and his mouth opens on words that are not his own, an eldritch vomit of speech that magic forces up through his elfin throat.
"Damn your eyes, you rotten slab of meat!! You sinewy shambles with no more sense than a steaming pile of horse dung!! May you be struck blind as you are stupid!!!"
"Damn your eyes, you rotten slab of meat!! You sinewy shambles with no more sense than a steaming pile of horse dung!! May you be struck blind as you are stupid!!!"
Rolls
Casting Color Spray - (1d20+1)
(18) + 1 = 19
Kreig
Oct 24, 2024 4:59 am
BEHIND THE CHURCH OF JUSTICIA
Krieg the Thegn turns when he hears shouting, and he is about to bellow right back at the elf when there is an eruption of colored light from the stars overhead, a blast of radiance that showers the man in scintillating rays. He looks down at his body, at his free hand, at his axe as those lights wash over him, bathing him in what feels like some grace of the gods!
"Beggar! You will pay in blood too! Justicia has given me a sign, she has washed me in holy light! You will be the horse dung!"
Krieg has never been terribly good at wordplay, but he appears to know how to use his axe!Roll for Initiative, Aldric and Ty. That's 1d20 + INIT. Also rolling for distance to each of you.
Kreig
"Beggar! You will pay in blood too! Justicia has given me a sign, she has washed me in holy light! You will be the horse dung!"
Krieg has never been terribly good at wordplay, but he appears to know how to use his axe!
OOC:
Nice result! But... erm... uh... sorry![ +- ] Color Spray: 18
Up to three targets within range can be targeted. Each target must make two Will saves or be affected. Targets that fail one save are blinded; targets that fail both saves are blinded and knocked unconscious. Duration is 2d4+1 rounds. Sightless creatures are immune.
Rolls
Will Save 1 (DC 18) - (1d20+1)
(18) + 1 = 19
Will Save 2 (DC 18) - (1d20+1)
(20) + 1 = 21
Initiative - (1d20+1)
(20) + 1 = 21
Distance in Feet to Aldric - (10d5)
(5441121222) = 24
Distance in Feet of Ty - (10d5)
(4211431444) = 28
Oct 24, 2024 5:17 am
BEHIND THE CHURCH OF JUSTICIA
ROUND 1: Krieg vs. Aldric and Ty
Initiative Order: TBD
1 Round left for the Darkness in the Church
ROUND 1: Krieg vs. Aldric and Ty
Initiative Order: TBD
1 Round left for the Darkness in the Church
Oct 24, 2024 11:13 am
Anora laughs derisively, and lets the paper be seen by those around!
"Chance is a curious thing in Hirot! This is what awaits any who try to stand against the present predicament. And it waits for all the rest once we few are gone to the stones and the beast’s belly thereafter!
Show me your hands! Who thinks my name being here is mere chance? I, who have been a thorn in the side of the Jarl since my arrival! He and his sorcerer have laid the ruse out far too clearly today!"
"Chance is a curious thing in Hirot! This is what awaits any who try to stand against the present predicament. And it waits for all the rest once we few are gone to the stones and the beast’s belly thereafter!
Show me your hands! Who thinks my name being here is mere chance? I, who have been a thorn in the side of the Jarl since my arrival! He and his sorcerer have laid the ruse out far too clearly today!"
Oct 24, 2024 2:56 pm
To emphasize Anora’s speech, Dufgal flips the lid off the lockbox all the way and flings a handful of the chits into the crowd.
Oct 24, 2024 5:03 pm
Aldric can feel his skin start to bubble forth seawater and moistness spread across the entirety of his flesh. It is as if his whole body cries, tears leaking from every pore. He sinks to his knees, surrounded by the stink of brine.
But, there is hope! Aldric is relieved to see Ty. "Oh, you're in for it now! Give them a taste of your ancient power!" He watches almost gleefully as the elf speaks in an alien voice, and then watches as the Excellent Prismatic Spray rains down upon the helpless Thegns! Were they going to burst into flame? Turn inside out? What horrible fate awaited these poor bastards!?
Aldric is horrified that the scintillating star rays do next to nothing - nay, maybe it strengthened their resolve?! - and that the axe wielders are no less motivated to kill him.
Pelagia has abandoned me, and the elf is impotent! his mind screams.
But, there is hope! Aldric is relieved to see Ty. "Oh, you're in for it now! Give them a taste of your ancient power!" He watches almost gleefully as the elf speaks in an alien voice, and then watches as the Excellent Prismatic Spray rains down upon the helpless Thegns! Were they going to burst into flame? Turn inside out? What horrible fate awaited these poor bastards!?
Aldric is horrified that the scintillating star rays do next to nothing - nay, maybe it strengthened their resolve?! - and that the axe wielders are no less motivated to kill him.
Pelagia has abandoned me, and the elf is impotent! his mind screams.
Last edited October 24, 2024 5:03 pm
Rolls
Initiative - (1d20-2)
(6) - 2 = 4
Oct 25, 2024 7:17 am
BEHIND THE CHURCH OF JUSTICIA
ROUND 1: Krieg vs. Aldric and Ty
Initiative Order: Krieg, Aldric, Ty TBD
1 Round left for the Darkness in the Church
OOC:
I think Ty was going to spend a point of Luck for a spell check result of 20... which would blind the Thegn after all. I'll pick that up after Ty posts as much, pouring on / adjusting the color spray to blind the man. Still need an init roll from him as well.ROUND 1: Krieg vs. Aldric and Ty
Initiative Order: Krieg, Aldric, Ty TBD
1 Round left for the Darkness in the Church
Oct 25, 2024 7:30 am
AT THE STRONGBOX
The gathered villagers first gasp as Anora shows the paper with her name on it, and then do so again when Dufgal dramatically casts some of the other slips onto the ground. From on high, the Jarl, Sylle Ru and the three remaining Thegns begin making their way down to the market from the great hall. They look on the scene with worry and curiosity as the crowd mills and voices begin to rise. They are too distant to clearly see what's going on, but are definitely suspicious.
The gathered villagers first gasp as Anora shows the paper with her name on it, and then do so again when Dufgal dramatically casts some of the other slips onto the ground. From on high, the Jarl, Sylle Ru and the three remaining Thegns begin making their way down to the market from the great hall. They look on the scene with worry and curiosity as the crowd mills and voices begin to rise. They are too distant to clearly see what's going on, but are definitely suspicious.
OOC:
Anora! Let's see you make a Personality check to stir up this crowd. Take +1d for your approach and Dufgal's help, so roll a d24 instead of a d20. Hitting DC 5 will allow you to mobilize / gather 2d6 villagers, to likely include some of the expected suspects. DC 10 will draw 4d8 protestors, and DC 15 will see that rise 8d10. Beating DC 20 will bring out more townsfolk than you can count...Oct 25, 2024 8:04 am
Anora gathers her blue robes about herself, and holds her head high. She stands amongst the townspeople of Hirot, staring back up at the Jarl and his retinue.
Defiance!
Defiance!
Last edited October 25, 2024 8:13 am
Rolls
Personality Goes A Long Way - (1d24+1)
(19) + 1 = 20
Oct 25, 2024 7:07 pm
When he sees the the burly thegn receive his blinding assault as some sort of beatitude, Ty's lip curls. Beneath his breath, he snarls, "Well then, you Three Great Whores. If you will have your will done in this filthy, flyspeck town, be with me now..."
The elf redoubles his effort. Sweat dampens his blindfold as he shouts, "May the Strumpets of Chance and Destiny fuck out your eyes, lummox!! May they leave you staggering through a blackened world, poking along by your prick, unable to tell bunghole from arse hole!!"
All the while, rainbows of light tumble down upon Kreig in the muddy street.
The elf redoubles his effort. Sweat dampens his blindfold as he shouts, "May the Strumpets of Chance and Destiny fuck out your eyes, lummox!! May they leave you staggering through a blackened world, poking along by your prick, unable to tell bunghole from arse hole!!"
All the while, rainbows of light tumble down upon Kreig in the muddy street.
OOC:
Using 1 Luck to make Ty's result a 20! That should blind the bastard. I'll roll initiative...Rolls
Initiative - (1d20+1)
(15) + 1 = 16
Oct 26, 2024 5:04 am
AT THE STRONGBOX
With her head held high, her chin raised defiantly, Anora relishes in the moment when the growing crowd sees the Jarl and his men coming -- and they do not flinch, they do not scurry back to their homes! Calls and voices and fists go up into the air as outrage spreads, as the townsfolk being to realize exactly what's been going on!
A few dozen people have gathered before Jarl Griegor is halfway down the causeway, and more come with each passing moment...
With her head held high, her chin raised defiantly, Anora relishes in the moment when the growing crowd sees the Jarl and his men coming -- and they do not flinch, they do not scurry back to their homes! Calls and voices and fists go up into the air as outrage spreads, as the townsfolk being to realize exactly what's been going on!
A few dozen people have gathered before Jarl Griegor is halfway down the causeway, and more come with each passing moment...
OOC:
Any instructions coming from Anora, or actions from Dufgal?
Kreig
Oct 26, 2024 5:19 am
BEHIND THE CHURCH OF JUSTICIA
The pelting light, to this point just tickling the tattooed warrior's skin, suddenly shifts and intensifies. The man glances ever-so-briefly upwards, and that's enough -- it's all he can do to stifle a cry as he is blinded by the scintillating fates!
"Augh! My eyes! I -- I cannot see!" bellows Krieg, and then his axe is whistling, swishing through the space in front of him. He keeps coming forward as he blindly chops. "I will have your head, beggar! Your head!"
Kreig
"Augh! My eyes! I -- I cannot see!" bellows Krieg, and then his axe is whistling, swishing through the space in front of him. He keeps coming forward as he blindly chops. "I will have your head, beggar! Your head!"
OOC:
Roll the duration when you post your next action, Ty: 2d4+1 Rounds. This is Round 1 and Krieg goes first -- he moves towards Ty (20') and attacks, but he's not close enough to injure the elf. Ty and Aldric are up.[ +- ] Combat Deets
ROUND 1: Krieg vs. Aldric and Ty
Initiative Order: Krieg, Ty, Aldric
Krieg is 44' from Aldric, and 8' from Ty. There is 1 Round left for the Darkness in the Church.
Initiative Order: Krieg, Ty, Aldric
Krieg is 44' from Aldric, and 8' from Ty. There is 1 Round left for the Darkness in the Church.
Oct 27, 2024 7:27 am
Aldric realizes just how wrong he was about Ty's power. "Praise be to Pelagia!" he mutters quietly. The thought of dying while in her debt made him more scared than the axe-wielding Thegn ever could, and now there was a chance.
Aldric considers retreating to Ymae's, but instead he hoists his oar in the air (with some painful effort) and begins to close distance with the blinded warrior, trying to go sneakily. His squeaky leather armour makes it difficult, as does the river of air that fights him every step of the way.
Aldric considers retreating to Ymae's, but instead he hoists his oar in the air (with some painful effort) and begins to close distance with the blinded warrior, trying to go sneakily. His squeaky leather armour makes it difficult, as does the river of air that fights him every step of the way.
OOC:
Approaching Kreig as far as I canOct 27, 2024 8:10 am
"Throw off the shackles of Sylle Ru and this Jarl! Then we will see if the beast slinks forth out of the night tonight! If it still comes, we will put a final end to it!" she says, hoping to wield the crowd like a great club against those that dared try and have her tied to the stones!
In truth, she would like to see them wield themselves, but the simple folk in far flung lands needed outside provocation, Anora knew!
In truth, she would like to see them wield themselves, but the simple folk in far flung lands needed outside provocation, Anora knew!
Oct 27, 2024 5:03 pm
Seeing the crowd growing rapidly, it seemed to Dufgal that the whole town had heard the ruckus and was coming out to see. The burly thief grabbed more handfuls and kept tossing the folded paper to the people until the whole box was emptied.
Then he readied himself with a spear. He could not expect the people to resist the thegns even if the manipulation had been exposed. One thing he learned about watching people from the bottom rung of the social ladder is that people will do almost anything to avoid being knocked further down the ladder. People will cling to their low position as long there is still one lower that they fear. He had seen and overheard some of the most shameful things when morality was pressed. He couldn’t count on anyone doing the right thing. So he braced for the worst. This might be his last stand. At least it would be worth a tale in a tavern. Maybe a small town tavern.
Then he readied himself with a spear. He could not expect the people to resist the thegns even if the manipulation had been exposed. One thing he learned about watching people from the bottom rung of the social ladder is that people will do almost anything to avoid being knocked further down the ladder. People will cling to their low position as long there is still one lower that they fear. He had seen and overheard some of the most shameful things when morality was pressed. He couldn’t count on anyone doing the right thing. So he braced for the worst. This might be his last stand. At least it would be worth a tale in a tavern. Maybe a small town tavern.
Last edited October 27, 2024 5:05 pm
Oct 27, 2024 6:52 pm
As the blinded thegn staggers toward him, Tyravasiel-Llir decides that an orderly retreat is the prudent course.
"Holy father, I humbly advise withdrawal," he calls over the head of the wildly swinging axe-man. "Not this way, of course..."
The incensed warrior is between Ty and Aldric, so the elf turns and dashes back around the church, the way he came. To keep Kreig's attention upon himself, and thus to clear Aldric's way, Ty calls behind him, "My head? You couldn't find you own arse with two hands! How shall you find my head, sir?"
"Holy father, I humbly advise withdrawal," he calls over the head of the wildly swinging axe-man. "Not this way, of course..."
The incensed warrior is between Ty and Aldric, so the elf turns and dashes back around the church, the way he came. To keep Kreig's attention upon himself, and thus to clear Aldric's way, Ty calls behind him, "My head? You couldn't find you own arse with two hands! How shall you find my head, sir?"
Last edited October 27, 2024 6:52 pm
Oct 28, 2024 4:33 am
BEHIND THE CHURCH OF JUSTICIA
As Ty flees, calling over his shoulder to draw the blinded Thegn after him, Aldric closes in on the man, oar in hand…
As Ty flees, calling over his shoulder to draw the blinded Thegn after him, Aldric closes in on the man, oar in hand…
OOC:
Rolling the 2d4+1 for rounds of blindness.[ +- ] Combat Deets
END OF ROUND 1: Krieg vs. Aldric and Ty
Initiative Order: Krieg, Ty, Aldric
Krieg is 5' from Aldric (and doesn’t know the man is behind him), and 68' from Ty, who just double moved / fled at top speed. The darkness in the church expires at the end of the next round.
Initiative Order: Krieg, Ty, Aldric
Krieg is 5' from Aldric (and doesn’t know the man is behind him), and 68' from Ty, who just double moved / fled at top speed. The darkness in the church expires at the end of the next round.
Rolls
Blindness Durartion - (2d4+1)
(12) + 1 = 4
Kreig
Oct 28, 2024 4:43 am
BEHIND THE CHURCH OF JUSTICIA
Moving after the beggar’s voice as fast as he dares, Kreig swipes with his axe twice more, a complete menace to anyone in front of him — including, if he keeps coming, some of the villagers gathering in the square!
"Demon-worshipper, cursing my eyes!" the brute shouts, furious at his predicament.
Kreig
"Demon-worshipper, cursing my eyes!" the brute shouts, furious at his predicament.
[ +- ] Combat Deets
ROUND 2: Krieg vs. Aldric and Ty
Initiative Order: Krieg, Ty, Aldric
Krieg is 25' from Aldric (who can reach him and attack should he wish), and 48' from Ty. The Church Darkness expires at the end of Round 2. The Blindness will last to the end of Round 4.
Initiative Order: Krieg, Ty, Aldric
Krieg is 25' from Aldric (who can reach him and attack should he wish), and 48' from Ty. The Church Darkness expires at the end of Round 2. The Blindness will last to the end of Round 4.
Oct 28, 2024 5:00 am
AT THE STRONGBOX
From on high, the Jarl begins shouting — hurling commands and invectives at the people of the village and these strangers he now so regrets having allowed into his town. But with only three bodyguards, Sylle Ru, upon seeing the mass of people gathering, pulls at the Jarl’s sleeve to turn him from his path.
Near Anora and Dufgal, the crowd seems on the edge of rioting.
Fury lights Broegan Haverson’s eyes as he realizes that his daughter was selected for the sacrifice, not picked randomly. He kicks at the box over and over, trying to smash it from its mountings as Morgan tries to stop him, her voice lost in the din of shouting that grows with each chaotic passing second.
"They’ve lied to us all along!" Wee Tocs shouts, a wicked grin on his face as he leads his little crew in protest.
"Picking who among us dies next!" Dolsten adds angrily, incredulously.
"To what end?! Why!?" someone else yells, and then there is just a cacophony of voices — and raised makeshift weapons — that turns the Jarl and his men around. They hurry back to the great hall as some of the crowd heads for the causeway, the road that leads up to the big building, and as some head for the church, surging past Ty.
From on high, the Jarl begins shouting — hurling commands and invectives at the people of the village and these strangers he now so regrets having allowed into his town. But with only three bodyguards, Sylle Ru, upon seeing the mass of people gathering, pulls at the Jarl’s sleeve to turn him from his path.
Broegan Haverson
Fury lights Broegan Haverson’s eyes as he realizes that his daughter was selected for the sacrifice, not picked randomly. He kicks at the box over and over, trying to smash it from its mountings as Morgan tries to stop him, her voice lost in the din of shouting that grows with each chaotic passing second.
Wee Tocs
Dolsten
"To what end?! Why!?" someone else yells, and then there is just a cacophony of voices — and raised makeshift weapons — that turns the Jarl and his men around. They hurry back to the great hall as some of the crowd heads for the causeway, the road that leads up to the big building, and as some head for the church, surging past Ty.
OOC:
Where did that spear come from, Dufgal?Oct 28, 2024 5:20 am
OOC:
Didnt scroll back, but I think it was at the first hint of the hound where we stumbled across an elk carcass. It was on my character sheet. Oct 28, 2024 11:17 am
Anora points a finger at the Jarl and his men; her robes hanging down from her outstretched arm. She looses the townspeople of Hirot on their masters, as if she was pulling free the holdings of a dam!
Sending the villagers up and at the Jarl, she tries to find Dufgal in the crowd. Getting a hand on the man, she clutches his shoulder and says:
"Together, Dufgal! We will have use for your arts yet! Let us find the priest, and finish this!"
Sending the villagers up and at the Jarl, she tries to find Dufgal in the crowd. Getting a hand on the man, she clutches his shoulder and says:
"Together, Dufgal! We will have use for your arts yet! Let us find the priest, and finish this!"
Oct 29, 2024 5:57 am
Now that Aldric has gotten closer, the Thegn's axe is looking mighty sharp. When Ty signals him to withdraw, he doesn't need much convincing.
He sloshes through the air toward the square, still reeling from Pelagia's disapproval but trying to blend in with the crowd. It seemed to him Anora and Dufgal had caused quite a stir with what they had found in the box, and the safety in numbers now appealed more to him than the double-edged protection that Ymae might offer. Besides, he was genuinely curious as to what was in that fucking box!
He sloshes through the air toward the square, still reeling from Pelagia's disapproval but trying to blend in with the crowd. It seemed to him Anora and Dufgal had caused quite a stir with what they had found in the box, and the safety in numbers now appealed more to him than the double-edged protection that Ymae might offer. Besides, he was genuinely curious as to what was in that fucking box!
OOC:
Moving toward the square, giving our foeman a wide berth Oct 30, 2024 1:51 am
Ty fights through the swarm of mayflies buzzing in the direction of Justicia's church. Behind him, Kreig is largely out of mind-- the moreso because the burly warrior is about to run into the same insectile cloud of humanity that confronts Tyravasiel himself. If that doesn't slow Kreig down, then it will be a tragedy for the people of Hirot and-- soon thereafter-- for Kreig himself.
Ahead and above, he can see Dufgal scattering lottery chits, Anora with her arm raised to sic the villagers upon the Jarl's hall, anger and tumult and-- does one dare hope?-- the fresh-faced beginnings of a riot.
So. Apparently that worked out.
Ahead and above, he can see Dufgal scattering lottery chits, Anora with her arm raised to sic the villagers upon the Jarl's hall, anger and tumult and-- does one dare hope?-- the fresh-faced beginnings of a riot.
So. Apparently that worked out.
Oct 30, 2024 5:07 am
NEAR THE STRONG BOX (ALL)
Bedlam reigns in the market as more and more villagers join the fray, weeks and months of frayed nerves now coming to a head and exploding. A troupe marches for the Jarl and his seer, which makes them about-face and head back for the great hall, where they are sure to barricade themselves inside.
The front doors to the Church of Justicia are finally thrown open, but Father Beacom and the second Thegn who was guarding the strongbox exit and find themselves suddenly confronted with more elements of the angry mob.
"I bet Beacom's in on it too!" a voice shouts.
"Him and the Jarl, they's the ones who need confess!" another shrieks.
Blind and bellowing Kreig keeps coming, but finds that he too is confronted with a large and rapidly growing violent crowd... and that it's impossible to track the beggar or the piss-lick seaman.
Bedlam reigns in the market as more and more villagers join the fray, weeks and months of frayed nerves now coming to a head and exploding. A troupe marches for the Jarl and his seer, which makes them about-face and head back for the great hall, where they are sure to barricade themselves inside.
The front doors to the Church of Justicia are finally thrown open, but Father Beacom and the second Thegn who was guarding the strongbox exit and find themselves suddenly confronted with more elements of the angry mob.
"I bet Beacom's in on it too!" a voice shouts.
"Him and the Jarl, they's the ones who need confess!" another shrieks.
Kreig
OOC:
Can I get Init rolls from Anora and Dufgal, please, just to see how you fit into things should we need to go in that direction.[ +- ] Combat Deets
ROUND 3: Kreig On the Hunt
Initiative Order: Kreig, Ty, Dufgal, Aldric, Anora TBD
Kreig is now having to deal with the crowd, and might have has lost tabs on his quarry. The Church Darkness has expired. The Blindness will last to the end of Round 4
Initiative Order: Kreig, Ty, Dufgal, Aldric, Anora TBD
Kreig is now having to deal with the crowd, and might have has lost tabs on his quarry. The Church Darkness has expired. The Blindness will last to the end of Round 4
Rolls
Tracking his Quarry by Sound (DC 15) - (1d16)
(3) = 3
Morgan Haverson
Oct 30, 2024 5:11 am
Morgan Haverson
"You've exposed them! We cannot thank you enough! But... but now what? Will the Hound still come?!"
Oct 30, 2024 2:23 pm
Dufgal surprised himself with the level of certainty he spoke with, "Lady and all! We’se has magicks and a map!" He meant that to be enough to both soothe and rouse Morgan and the throng.
Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(13) + 1 = 14
Oct 31, 2024 1:53 am
OOC:
On second thought, let's drop the combat rounds and go free form... have at it, all of you.Oct 31, 2024 7:49 am
Anora the Blue didn’t know! But these people were malleable now, and just at the beginning of their revolution. She couldn’t cut the confidence out from underneath them so soon!
"One thing at a time!" Anora booms over the din.
"The Jarl and his men first…" she says, thinking it best to let the people decide what to do with the priest. He could still prove a useful tool to Anora, should things go against her somehow…
"The business of the day will tell much about what we must do tonight!"
"One thing at a time!" Anora booms over the din.
"The Jarl and his men first…" she says, thinking it best to let the people decide what to do with the priest. He could still prove a useful tool to Anora, should things go against her somehow…
"The business of the day will tell much about what we must do tonight!"
Oct 31, 2024 5:11 pm
Feeling the surge of emotions around him, Dufgal could not help but get caught up in the excitement. He reached into his cloak and felt the cold, hard metal of the warhammer head as his fingers curled around it.
"Has no fears, people of Hirot! Lady Anora has the powers to defeat the hound! I’se seen it in a dream!" and to add emphasis, he thrusts the magical weapon into the air.
Then he says something that he didn’t mean to, "Then she’se will be your new leader!"
"Has no fears, people of Hirot! Lady Anora has the powers to defeat the hound! I’se seen it in a dream!" and to add emphasis, he thrusts the magical weapon into the air.
Then he says something that he didn’t mean to, "Then she’se will be your new leader!"
Nov 1, 2024 4:41 am
Cheers go up around Anora, and around Dufgal and his raised up holy artifact! Things happen quickly then. Ty and sloshing Aldric join back up with their companions as a mob chases the Jarl and his entourage back into the great hall. When the Thegns down in the village proper recover from the sorceries and garrotings visited violently upon them, they too see that the crowd is too large and unruly to deal with by far. Hurling curses and angry glares, they fall back into the Church of Justicia, which Father Beacom shuts barely in time to keep out the furious Hirotians. The doors boom closed with a finality, leaving the village and its would-be saviors with a moment to breathe and think -- for the first time in some time.
OOC:
Okay, you have the ability to pow-wow with one another or do what you will. I imagine people like Morgan, Lloré, Dolstan, Wee Tocs and Broegan around nearby or summonable if you need them.Nov 1, 2024 4:50 am
Remembering that Aldric said to keep it safe and hidden, Dufgal tucks the relic back into the folds of his cloak. He starts to wonder if he spoke too much. It certainly surprised him as he is wont to listen far more than talk.
Nov 1, 2024 10:10 am
Anora steps aside, as the crowd surges in all directions. She gathers herself up with the others, and takes a moment to try and find some quiet in the chaos.
"We have done it now!" she remarks, wondering how it had all transpired like this. No matter…
"I think I can coax the priest from his cloister. He might testify against the Jarl to save his own skin." she says, with almost no judgment in her voice.
"If that were even allowed… she adds, noting the anger of the mob around her.
"We have done it now!" she remarks, wondering how it had all transpired like this. No matter…
"I think I can coax the priest from his cloister. He might testify against the Jarl to save his own skin." she says, with almost no judgment in her voice.
"If that were even allowed… she adds, noting the anger of the mob around her.
Nov 1, 2024 10:27 pm
Tyravasiel-Llir turns his blindfolded eyes in the direction of the Jarl's hall.
"I wonder if the thegns were aware of their lord's scheme," he muses. "If not, perhaps they can be turned to our side. Better to isolate the Jarl and his spider so far as we can."
"I wonder if the thegns were aware of their lord's scheme," he muses. "If not, perhaps they can be turned to our side. Better to isolate the Jarl and his spider so far as we can."
Nov 2, 2024 6:37 am
A sturdy-looking girl of perhaps eighteen approaches Dufgal as Broegan starts organizing the villagers from the platform where the lottery had been taking place. The box has been dashed to pieces now, and a fire burns, consuming every piece of parchment that the reviled trunk contained.
"You'll need a haft for that," the girl says about the warhammer's head. Her hair is a mop of auburn curls and she possesses strong forearms and hands, the thief sees. "I apprenticed with Hael the Crane, a master smith... and I know how to haft a tool well enough. There should be an axe handle of ash at Oyd the woodsmith's that we can use."
But before you do, for putting a stop to this perversion of order and mockery of fate, you all regain some luck, care of The Three Fates. If you are chaotic, gain 1d4 Luck. If you are Neutral, gain 1d6. Lawful characters gain 1d8 Luck. You can exceed your normal Luck maximum, at least for the duration of this adventure. Ty, add an additional +1d4 Luck for following through with your Patron's wishes.
"You'll need a haft for that," the girl says about the warhammer's head. Her hair is a mop of auburn curls and she possesses strong forearms and hands, the thief sees. "I apprenticed with Hael the Crane, a master smith... and I know how to haft a tool well enough. There should be an axe handle of ash at Oyd the woodsmith's that we can use."
OOC:
Dufgal, please make a Luck roll to see who might have glimpsed the relic when you raised it up.But before you do, for putting a stop to this perversion of order and mockery of fate, you all regain some luck, care of The Three Fates. If you are chaotic, gain 1d4 Luck. If you are Neutral, gain 1d6. Lawful characters gain 1d8 Luck. You can exceed your normal Luck maximum, at least for the duration of this adventure. Ty, add an additional +1d4 Luck for following through with your Patron's wishes.
Lloré
Nov 2, 2024 6:38 am
Lloré
Morgan Haverson
Nov 2, 2024 6:40 am
Morgan Haverson
Quietly, beneath the din of the mob, she asks the other woman, "How long will your glamor last? How did you... come to possess such power?!"
Nov 2, 2024 6:48 am
OOC:
starting off with gaining luckOOC:
Then immediately testing themLast edited November 2, 2024 6:53 am
Rolls
Kindness of the 3 Fates - (1d6)
(3) = 3
Luck check (vs 10) - (1d20)
(9) = 9
Nov 2, 2024 6:49 am
Aldric is surprised as he arrives back in the market center, as he sees that he pulls with him a wake of noisome and excited villagers who surround him when he stops.
"Preach!" faces in that crowd shout. "Father Aldric! Speak unto us the word of Pelagia! We seek to understand why the Queen of Seaform has helped us here when Justicia could not, or would not! Utter her gospel, so that we may know it!"
Make a PER check, please, if Aldric does what they are asking.
"Preach!" faces in that crowd shout. "Father Aldric! Speak unto us the word of Pelagia! We seek to understand why the Queen of Seaform has helped us here when Justicia could not, or would not! Utter her gospel, so that we may know it!"
OOC:
An opportunity to convert some villagers, and reduce your Disapproval while you're at it! (Do remember your various ailments coming from your Disapproval, please.)Make a PER check, please, if Aldric does what they are asking.
[ +- ] Converts
Hit DC 5 to convert 1d4 villagers and lower your Disapproval by 1.
Hit DC 10 to convert 2d5 villagers and lower your Disapproval by 2.
Hit DC 15 to convert 3d6 villagers and lower your Disapproval by 3.
Hit DC 20 to convert 4d7 villagers and lower your Disapproval by 4.
Hit DC 10 to convert 2d5 villagers and lower your Disapproval by 2.
Hit DC 15 to convert 3d6 villagers and lower your Disapproval by 3.
Hit DC 20 to convert 4d7 villagers and lower your Disapproval by 4.
Nov 2, 2024 5:25 pm
Aldric enters the chaos of the square, relishing the growing anger and violence toward his enemies. Pelagia's enemies!
His glee sours when he remembers, painfully, that he is one wrong step away from death. Ty's spell had saved his skin, and the fires of revolution that Anora had atoked in the Hirotians provided cover for his escape. But, with Pelagia's displeasure hanging over his head twicefold, he was vulnerable, exposed. He needed to extricate himself from this mess and placate his fucking bitch queen!
Ah, but he was thinking like a potato farmer, not a Witness of Pelagia. The chaos was his to shape around him, not the other way around! First, to get their attention
.. he makes his way onto the platform where the pieces of the fraudulent lottery box lies, in flames.
"I PISS UPON THIS FUCKING LOTTERY!" he bellows, and laughs maniacly as he drops his trousers to his ankles and lets loose a stream of urine into the flames.
Once he has their attention, he pulls up his trousers and turns to the crowd, hands in the air and electric eyes.
"People of Hirot! The tides of truth are returning, washing over your shores! Let them cleanse you and free you from the tyranny of those who would feed you to dogs! Embrace Pelagia as your saviour!"
"Father Beacom will tell you that Pelagia does not give a fuck about you, while Justica, oh she is always watching over you. It might surprise you, but completely fucking agree!"
"Yes, Justica is always watching over you! Watching that you wipe your ass the right way! Watching to make sure you obey the right people! Watching that you line up in a peaceful and orderly fashion to throw your babies into the fucking hound's jaws!"
"Father Beacom and the Jarl were more concerned about about dying in an orderly fashion than living freely! And Sylle Ru has perverted this order, warped it it to his own dark designs. The lottery was rigged from the start!"
"But you Hirotians, you were never fooled. You always had your doubts! You knew in your hearts this was utter bullshit! But it was not your fault. Under the Jarl's boot and the priest's sermons and the serpent's lies, you had no choice but to obey. But now, we, aided by the divine fury of Pelagia, are rendering his dogs impotent! Look at Krieg, stumbling blind like a fucking idiot! We have taken Justica's hammer and return it to the people! We have revealed the truth about this foul lottery for all to see."
"Now is the time to turn your backs on those who would murder you quietly and turn to Pelagia! Yes, Pelagia does not care about you! She does not care how loud you fart, or who you fuck, or if you obey your lord. She will leave you the fuck alone! To live your life as you want!"
"But I want to make this very fucking clear. What she does care about is killing that MOON-FUCKED HOUND! She hates it, and she is sending a storm down upon it. And we are the vanguard of that storm!"
"Who is with us?!"
His glee sours when he remembers, painfully, that he is one wrong step away from death. Ty's spell had saved his skin, and the fires of revolution that Anora had atoked in the Hirotians provided cover for his escape. But, with Pelagia's displeasure hanging over his head twicefold, he was vulnerable, exposed. He needed to extricate himself from this mess and placate his fucking bitch queen!
Ah, but he was thinking like a potato farmer, not a Witness of Pelagia. The chaos was his to shape around him, not the other way around! First, to get their attention
.. he makes his way onto the platform where the pieces of the fraudulent lottery box lies, in flames.
"I PISS UPON THIS FUCKING LOTTERY!" he bellows, and laughs maniacly as he drops his trousers to his ankles and lets loose a stream of urine into the flames.
Once he has their attention, he pulls up his trousers and turns to the crowd, hands in the air and electric eyes.
"People of Hirot! The tides of truth are returning, washing over your shores! Let them cleanse you and free you from the tyranny of those who would feed you to dogs! Embrace Pelagia as your saviour!"
"Father Beacom will tell you that Pelagia does not give a fuck about you, while Justica, oh she is always watching over you. It might surprise you, but completely fucking agree!"
"Yes, Justica is always watching over you! Watching that you wipe your ass the right way! Watching to make sure you obey the right people! Watching that you line up in a peaceful and orderly fashion to throw your babies into the fucking hound's jaws!"
"Father Beacom and the Jarl were more concerned about about dying in an orderly fashion than living freely! And Sylle Ru has perverted this order, warped it it to his own dark designs. The lottery was rigged from the start!"
"But you Hirotians, you were never fooled. You always had your doubts! You knew in your hearts this was utter bullshit! But it was not your fault. Under the Jarl's boot and the priest's sermons and the serpent's lies, you had no choice but to obey. But now, we, aided by the divine fury of Pelagia, are rendering his dogs impotent! Look at Krieg, stumbling blind like a fucking idiot! We have taken Justica's hammer and return it to the people! We have revealed the truth about this foul lottery for all to see."
"Now is the time to turn your backs on those who would murder you quietly and turn to Pelagia! Yes, Pelagia does not care about you! She does not care how loud you fart, or who you fuck, or if you obey your lord. She will leave you the fuck alone! To live your life as you want!"
"But I want to make this very fucking clear. What she does care about is killing that MOON-FUCKED HOUND! She hates it, and she is sending a storm down upon it. And we are the vanguard of that storm!"
"Who is with us?!"
Rolls
PER check - (1d20-1)
(15) - 1 = 14
converts - (2d5)
(51) = 6
Nay, it is 15! -1 luck - (3d6)
(565) = 16
regained luck - (1d6)
(3) = 3
Nov 2, 2024 7:29 pm
Standing on the platform, listening to Aldric's harangue, Ty feels a quiver in the pit of his stomach. His lips press together, but the band of coarse-woven cloth over his eyes hides the way they wrinkle at the corners with unease.
In short order, his little company has undertaken to: depose the Jarl, and set up Anora the Blue in his place; supplant the worship of Justicia with that of the Sea Bitch Pelagia; and slay the un-slayable Hound of Hirot. A full slate! And all with no apparent prospect of reward beyond the thanks and plaudits of a village of grubby, short-lived humans. The Mistress of the Ninth Blossom will not be bought off with such ephemeral coin.
The elf lets his veiled gaze roam discontentedly over the assembled throng, seeking some more substantial prospect of advantage. To Anora, he says, "When Father Aldric has finished evangelizing, my lady, you should bespeak the thegns holed up in Justicia's church and the Jarl's hall. Make plain their lord's deception, and offer them pardon if they will come over to our side." Tyravasiel pauses, then adds with a touch of amusement, "This duty falls properly to you as the new Headwoman of Hirot."
By Dufgal's proclamation, granted. But there have been no objections thus far.
In short order, his little company has undertaken to: depose the Jarl, and set up Anora the Blue in his place; supplant the worship of Justicia with that of the Sea Bitch Pelagia; and slay the un-slayable Hound of Hirot. A full slate! And all with no apparent prospect of reward beyond the thanks and plaudits of a village of grubby, short-lived humans. The Mistress of the Ninth Blossom will not be bought off with such ephemeral coin.
The elf lets his veiled gaze roam discontentedly over the assembled throng, seeking some more substantial prospect of advantage. To Anora, he says, "When Father Aldric has finished evangelizing, my lady, you should bespeak the thegns holed up in Justicia's church and the Jarl's hall. Make plain their lord's deception, and offer them pardon if they will come over to our side." Tyravasiel pauses, then adds with a touch of amusement, "This duty falls properly to you as the new Headwoman of Hirot."
By Dufgal's proclamation, granted. But there have been no objections thus far.
Rolls
Regained Luck - (2d4)
(21) = 3
Nov 4, 2024 12:53 am
Anora’s brow furrows as Aldric whips up the crowd - her crowd - into religious frenzy! She speaks aside to the busty barmaid:
"There goes our plan of using the priest to further our designs against the Jarl."
The woman was earnest, and had played more than her share of a part in this thing.
"Study, Morgan. Study. The witch in her hovel will furnish you with some texts at my instruction, if you wish to learn." she adds, before turning her attention to Ty.
She waves off the idea of being the Headwoman of a place like this. But if the shoe fit, however temporarily, she would wear it.
"I can scarcely recall if I’ve made friend or foe of the Jarl’s men left alive. After today…" she says, remembering all the spells she had thrown about.
"I will try!" she allows, before heading off to the church, parting the crowd, and ushering for Morgan to follow!
"There goes our plan of using the priest to further our designs against the Jarl."
The woman was earnest, and had played more than her share of a part in this thing.
"Study, Morgan. Study. The witch in her hovel will furnish you with some texts at my instruction, if you wish to learn." she adds, before turning her attention to Ty.
She waves off the idea of being the Headwoman of a place like this. But if the shoe fit, however temporarily, she would wear it.
"I can scarcely recall if I’ve made friend or foe of the Jarl’s men left alive. After today…" she says, remembering all the spells she had thrown about.
"I will try!" she allows, before heading off to the church, parting the crowd, and ushering for Morgan to follow!
Nov 4, 2024 7:49 am
ALDRIC
Aldric's antics by no means draw the eyes and attentions of every villager present -- for there are dozens now in the square, and more coming every moment. Word is spreading; the Jarl's hold on this town is soundly broken. There will be no more lottery!
But there are almost a score townsfolk who listen to the priest with rapt expressions on their faces. Who throw up their hands and agree deeply with what they are hearing. Who shout agreement with Aldric's request to join him, and who climb up onto the platform where the fire burns to join in the ceremonial pissing. Men's pricks are pulled out, women's trousers and skirts are dropped. Streams of wee shower and sizzle the flames.
Aldric's antics by no means draw the eyes and attentions of every villager present -- for there are dozens now in the square, and more coming every moment. Word is spreading; the Jarl's hold on this town is soundly broken. There will be no more lottery!
But there are almost a score townsfolk who listen to the priest with rapt expressions on their faces. Who throw up their hands and agree deeply with what they are hearing. Who shout agreement with Aldric's request to join him, and who climb up onto the platform where the fire burns to join in the ceremonial pissing. Men's pricks are pulled out, women's trousers and skirts are dropped. Streams of wee shower and sizzle the flames.
Nov 4, 2024 7:52 am
ANORA & TY
While all that goes on, Anora, Ty and Morgan head back for the now sealed-up Church of Justicia. Broegan, who is still directing able-bodied villagers where they are needed, makes eye contact with the wizardess and nods, approvingly. This town will her hers to command, at least for the time being. Dolsten and Lloré tag along behind them, as does Wee Tocs and his crew, at some distance. The barmaid seems to have a dozen more questions for Anora regarding the sorceries she's uttered, and the brunette draws Ty into that conversation as well, having seen him cast enchantments now on more than one occasion. All this she does while drawing deep, distracting breaths.
As they reach the front doors of the church, Dolsten shushes his niece and moves to step in front of the blue-garbed woman the town now looks to as a leader.
"My Lady Anora! Wait! Wait, please! I tried to say this last night, but I could not find the right time, nor the right words! While it seems the Jarl and his seer have deceived us, have secretly chosen who among us the Hound rends... that curse... I believe it is me who caused it!"
While all that goes on, Anora, Ty and Morgan head back for the now sealed-up Church of Justicia. Broegan, who is still directing able-bodied villagers where they are needed, makes eye contact with the wizardess and nods, approvingly. This town will her hers to command, at least for the time being. Dolsten and Lloré tag along behind them, as does Wee Tocs and his crew, at some distance. The barmaid seems to have a dozen more questions for Anora regarding the sorceries she's uttered, and the brunette draws Ty into that conversation as well, having seen him cast enchantments now on more than one occasion. All this she does while drawing deep, distracting breaths.
As they reach the front doors of the church, Dolsten shushes his niece and moves to step in front of the blue-garbed woman the town now looks to as a leader.
Dolsten
Nov 4, 2024 7:55 am
DUFGAL
"Aye," the frizzy-haired young woman says simply to Dufgal with a nod. "Let's to Oyd's first to pick out a handle, then I'll work on affixin' it."
Saying that, the apprentice moves to lead Dufgal away from the market, towards the carpenter's shop. Casting a glance back, the murder-minded thief sees Aldric still on the platform with his new flock, and Anora and Ty leading a charge towards the church, which already has twenty-odd men surrounding it. The similarly-sized crew of Hirotians going up to the Jarl's is almost there as well.
"Aye," the frizzy-haired young woman says simply to Dufgal with a nod. "Let's to Oyd's first to pick out a handle, then I'll work on affixin' it."
Saying that, the apprentice moves to lead Dufgal away from the market, towards the carpenter's shop. Casting a glance back, the murder-minded thief sees Aldric still on the platform with his new flock, and Anora and Ty leading a charge towards the church, which already has twenty-odd men surrounding it. The similarly-sized crew of Hirotians going up to the Jarl's is almost there as well.
Nov 4, 2024 9:51 am
Anora doesn’t let a thing show on her face. She must be seen to have expected all angles. And all angles must be subtly guided so that they point at the right people…
"Caused it how?" she asks simply, freeing her hands from the folds of her sleeves, so that she might plant them on her hips when she summons the priest from his hole.
"Caused it how?" she asks simply, freeing her hands from the folds of her sleeves, so that she might plant them on her hips when she summons the priest from his hole.
Nov 4, 2024 4:08 pm
Dufgal dutifully follows the frizzy-haired tradeswoman. Trusting at first glance that she means what she says and only what she says. The fact that she is alone helps her case.
He does retain a critical eye for anything that seems out of place. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if he was being led into a trap by someone who wishes to swipe the stolen prize.
So, as soon as he gets her far enough away from the crowd, he stops. "How do I’se know you’se ain’t just after the shiny new fing?"
He intimates that the hand she can’t see is poised to strike with his blade if she doesn’t convince him of her honesty.
"Wif all de shenanigans goin’ on ‘round here, I’se can’t be too trusting, see?"
He does retain a critical eye for anything that seems out of place. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if he was being led into a trap by someone who wishes to swipe the stolen prize.
So, as soon as he gets her far enough away from the crowd, he stops. "How do I’se know you’se ain’t just after the shiny new fing?"
He intimates that the hand she can’t see is poised to strike with his blade if she doesn’t convince him of her honesty.
"Wif all de shenanigans goin’ on ‘round here, I’se can’t be too trusting, see?"
Last edited November 4, 2024 4:08 pm
Dolsten
Nov 5, 2024 6:12 am
ANORA & TY
Dolsten quiets as they approach the church. There's quite a clamor rising from Hirot at this point, from all sides, but the man clearly does not want others overhearing.
"Lady Anora... you read what I wrote. I was smitten. I wanted something... special to offer him as a gift, a keepsake. Not some crudely carved trinket or some handful of flawed peridots and garnets. I desired the gift to be something... unique. And the barrows in these lands... well, they are known to contain such treasures. Gold and silver, relics, finely crafted artworks."
They are almost to the door (which is blocked by several angry villagers) when the man adds, "I hired three of Master Jenks' men to pillage the tomb of Ulfheonar. They never returned. But after that, the Hound... it began to come."
Dolsten
"Lady Anora... you read what I wrote. I was smitten. I wanted something... special to offer him as a gift, a keepsake. Not some crudely carved trinket or some handful of flawed peridots and garnets. I desired the gift to be something... unique. And the barrows in these lands... well, they are known to contain such treasures. Gold and silver, relics, finely crafted artworks."
They are almost to the door (which is blocked by several angry villagers) when the man adds, "I hired three of Master Jenks' men to pillage the tomb of Ulfheonar. They never returned. But after that, the Hound... it began to come."
Nov 5, 2024 6:27 am
DUFGAL
The auburn-haired teen turns and screws up her face a bit. "I ain't tryin' to steal your fing, sir. I'm tryin' to help you make it a proper weapon to crush that unholy fucking wolf's skull. It's killed scores of us you know, includin' me master." The girl's face is pained as she adds, "It has to stop."
The auburn-haired teen turns and screws up her face a bit. "I ain't tryin' to steal your fing, sir. I'm tryin' to help you make it a proper weapon to crush that unholy fucking wolf's skull. It's killed scores of us you know, includin' me master." The girl's face is pained as she adds, "It has to stop."
OOC:
Give me a Notice Shit check, Dufgal, an INT check where you can include your Hide in Shadows bonus. The DC is 15.Nov 5, 2024 6:48 am
Dufgal looks her straight, then tilts his head and looks her slantways. His head starts to hurt so he closes his eyes and says, "I’se just tryin’ to be thorough is all. I’se don’t know anything about anyone ’round here."
He pauses and realizes that he’s teared up a bit on account he just accused a right helpful girl in the midst of grief and fear and desperation.
"I’se awfully saddened to hear that you lost yer boss an’ all. I’se didn’t mean anythin’ I’se said. Let’s get this weapon made right agin an’ we’se gonna send that foul hound back to hell!"
He pauses and realizes that he’s teared up a bit on account he just accused a right helpful girl in the midst of grief and fear and desperation.
"I’se awfully saddened to hear that you lost yer boss an’ all. I’se didn’t mean anythin’ I’se said. Let’s get this weapon made right agin an’ we’se gonna send that foul hound back to hell!"
Last edited November 5, 2024 6:54 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Hide in shadows (and notice shit) - (1d20+3)
(1) + 3 = 4
Nov 5, 2024 9:46 am
"And then the Jarl and his men saw an opportunity to be exploited." Anora goes on, on what she assumes is the natural follow on from Dolsten’s tale.
"Well…" she says, beginning to sound a little frayed and exasperated. "We can only deal with the matter before us for now. Wield the mob while it’s willing. I’m sure they’ll have spent themselves long before the beast comes on tonight. Let us deal with those that saw an opportunity, and then deal with the opportunity itself, Dolsten."
"Well…" she says, beginning to sound a little frayed and exasperated. "We can only deal with the matter before us for now. Wield the mob while it’s willing. I’m sure they’ll have spent themselves long before the beast comes on tonight. Let us deal with those that saw an opportunity, and then deal with the opportunity itself, Dolsten."
Nov 5, 2024 2:07 pm
Ty's cropped ears perk at the mention of relics. Perhaps there's something to be gained from this miserable errand after all!
"This tomb of Ulfheonar," the elf cuts in. "You know where it is? If the town's curse started there, then perhaps we must return there in order to set things to rights."
Tyravasiel pauses. Then, with a touch of manufactured compassion, he adds, "I think it would go some way towards assuaging your guilt, Dolsten, if you were to come with us. You might also recruit your burly brother Broegan."
Whatever the threat that might have done for Jenks' scoundrels, Ty figures the more targets who are not Ty himself, the better.
"This tomb of Ulfheonar," the elf cuts in. "You know where it is? If the town's curse started there, then perhaps we must return there in order to set things to rights."
Tyravasiel pauses. Then, with a touch of manufactured compassion, he adds, "I think it would go some way towards assuaging your guilt, Dolsten, if you were to come with us. You might also recruit your burly brother Broegan."
Whatever the threat that might have done for Jenks' scoundrels, Ty figures the more targets who are not Ty himself, the better.
Nov 6, 2024 9:50 pm
Aldric is elated that his new flock is overflowing with enthusiasm for their new-found faith (snicker!). As much as Aldric might want to rest on his laurels (after all, it had been a hard day, and creating so many ), he knows the flame is but a flickering candle in their hearts; he needs to deliver a true miracle to cement their passions into the pure zeal Pelagia demands of her servants.
And that was only going to happen with the death of that fucking hound.
Aldric looked up from the frolic in front of him to see where his companions had gotten to. A lot of what had happened, he had to admit, had come from their doing, and he was but riding the crest of their wave. Best to keep going with that momentum! Where did they go? Ah, is that Dufgal in the distance? Who is that he is chatting with?
"A moment, my brothers and sisters!" Aldric calls out to his flock - ahh, that feels good to say out loud. Oh, but how can he tell who these peasants are that are his followers? He pauses before leaving to meet with Dufgal, and raises his oar. "Followers of Pelagia, this is the thrice-cresting wave, the symbol of Pelagia! Wear it proudly on your person, so that we might know each other, and that Pelagia might spare you in the coming chaos."
And with that, he wades through the invisible waters to approach Dufgal. "My friend, what a turnabout you and the others have instigated in this town. I always knew you were a top-notch lad. Well done!"
And that was only going to happen with the death of that fucking hound.
Aldric looked up from the frolic in front of him to see where his companions had gotten to. A lot of what had happened, he had to admit, had come from their doing, and he was but riding the crest of their wave. Best to keep going with that momentum! Where did they go? Ah, is that Dufgal in the distance? Who is that he is chatting with?
"A moment, my brothers and sisters!" Aldric calls out to his flock - ahh, that feels good to say out loud. Oh, but how can he tell who these peasants are that are his followers? He pauses before leaving to meet with Dufgal, and raises his oar. "Followers of Pelagia, this is the thrice-cresting wave, the symbol of Pelagia! Wear it proudly on your person, so that we might know each other, and that Pelagia might spare you in the coming chaos."
And with that, he wades through the invisible waters to approach Dufgal. "My friend, what a turnabout you and the others have instigated in this town. I always knew you were a top-notch lad. Well done!"
Nov 7, 2024 7:21 am
DUFGAL & ALDRIC
Leaving his new congregation as they finish with their pissing and moaning, Aldric agrees to meet with them later on at the Wolf-Spear. For now, though, he moves in his sloshing way, headed for where he sees Dufgal and a young woman leaving the market square.
"Through here," the smith's apprentice says, leading Dufgal into a shop, sliding past the hides that hang, acting as a door. Inside, a now-absent carpenter has crafted and racked a great many things -- including a number of axe handles that look like they might be fitted to the hammer.
Leaving his new congregation as they finish with their pissing and moaning, Aldric agrees to meet with them later on at the Wolf-Spear. For now, though, he moves in his sloshing way, headed for where he sees Dufgal and a young woman leaving the market square.
OOC:
DC 15 INT check to spot something, please."Through here," the smith's apprentice says, leading Dufgal into a shop, sliding past the hides that hang, acting as a door. Inside, a now-absent carpenter has crafted and racked a great many things -- including a number of axe handles that look like they might be fitted to the hammer.
OOC:
Gonna see the results of Aldric's check before going much further...
Dolsten
Nov 7, 2024 7:35 am
ANORA & TY
Dolsten's eyes widen at the prospect of visiting the tomb, and he shakes his head at both Anora and Ty.
"W-why me? I've not seen the place since I was a child, though it is less than an hour's walk from here. I do not know if the rumors of it being haunted are true, but certainly the riches within will be guarded. Our ancestors. the Savage Kings -- they liked to keep their grave goods, it turns out."
Before the pair can react, the man adds, "I can guide you there if need be. You'll want to leave soon if you intend to see the place today and do more than look on it..."
Dolsten
"W-why me? I've not seen the place since I was a child, though it is less than an hour's walk from here. I do not know if the rumors of it being haunted are true, but certainly the riches within will be guarded. Our ancestors. the Savage Kings -- they liked to keep their grave goods, it turns out."
Before the pair can react, the man adds, "I can guide you there if need be. You'll want to leave soon if you intend to see the place today and do more than look on it..."
Nov 7, 2024 8:00 am
Aldric, though normally vigilant, has a lot going on in his life right now.
Last edited November 7, 2024 8:01 am
Rolls
DC 15 int check - (1d20-2)
(10) - 2 = 8
Nov 8, 2024 5:17 am
Anora began to feel her temper rising! She was being pulled in several directions at once. Having avoided being pulled apart for Hirot, she was in danger of the same by Hirot.
OOC:
Team huddle over on Discord…Nov 8, 2024 7:42 pm
ALDRIC
Dufgal and the villager leading him make good time — they have a lead, and they outpace Aldric’s sodden gait. By the time he reaches the edge of the market and moves into the alleyway they disappeared into, they have already turned down some other path or entered through the rear door of one of the buildings backing up to the alley. There! Does he glimpse—
But no sooner is the priest able to spy what might be a door closing when a girl’s voice calls out to him. A strained, high-pitched voice that grates the ear.
"Why hallos!" a child of perhaps twelve says from the stack of empty crates she’s climbed up on. Nimble thing she must be, and Aldric sees she’s skinny, all bony knees and elbows as she crouches.
"I’m Catkins. What’s your name?" she asks, her eyes bugging and rotten teeth showing as she speaks and grins disturbingly.
Dufgal and the villager leading him make good time — they have a lead, and they outpace Aldric’s sodden gait. By the time he reaches the edge of the market and moves into the alleyway they disappeared into, they have already turned down some other path or entered through the rear door of one of the buildings backing up to the alley. There! Does he glimpse—
Catkins
"Why hallos!" a child of perhaps twelve says from the stack of empty crates she’s climbed up on. Nimble thing she must be, and Aldric sees she’s skinny, all bony knees and elbows as she crouches.
"I’m Catkins. What’s your name?" she asks, her eyes bugging and rotten teeth showing as she speaks and grins disturbingly.
OOC:
Luck check to see if you saw Dufgal clearly, Aldric. D20, roll your current Luck score or lower.Nov 8, 2024 7:49 pm
DUFGAL
Collecting a few wooden axe and maul handles from where a number of them are piled, the friz-headed, stoutly-made apprentice turns to Dufgal when she has three large hafts in her strong hands.
"Put that hammer head on there, on that bench. I’ll see which one o’these fits best. Hopefully one will work. That looks like quite the weapon. Where’d you find it?"
Collecting a few wooden axe and maul handles from where a number of them are piled, the friz-headed, stoutly-made apprentice turns to Dufgal when she has three large hafts in her strong hands.
"Put that hammer head on there, on that bench. I’ll see which one o’these fits best. Hopefully one will work. That looks like quite the weapon. Where’d you find it?"
Nov 8, 2024 10:22 pm
Ty catches himself before looking up to gauge the position of the sun, but it's a near thing. Perhaps, he reasons, the revolution they've incited won't leave them time to loot the tomb of this long-dead, flyspeck chief before set of sun. If so, then they'll need to make other provisions for the coming of the Hound of Hirot.
"I hear the tumult around us, Dolsten," Ty observes. "We dare not leave Hirot at this moment of peril, when the people are wroth, the Jarl and his toady desperate, the armed thegns doubtless torn between obedience to lord and kin. For now, order must be restored... and justice, done. But when the time comes, I trust that you will lead the way to Ulheonar's tomb. And remember there the lives that have been lost to your folly."
"I hear the tumult around us, Dolsten," Ty observes. "We dare not leave Hirot at this moment of peril, when the people are wroth, the Jarl and his toady desperate, the armed thegns doubtless torn between obedience to lord and kin. For now, order must be restored... and justice, done. But when the time comes, I trust that you will lead the way to Ulheonar's tomb. And remember there the lives that have been lost to your folly."
Dolsten
Nov 9, 2024 1:09 am
ANORA & TY
"I was not suggesting we need to away right now!" Dolsten says, clearly a little rattled by everything that's happened, by the current rioting, and perhaps his own admission.
"I only wanted it clear to you that locking the Jarl, the priest and the seer up will in all likelihood not keep the Hound from coming!"
"I was not suggesting we need to away right now!" Dolsten says, clearly a little rattled by everything that's happened, by the current rioting, and perhaps his own admission.
"I only wanted it clear to you that locking the Jarl, the priest and the seer up will in all likelihood not keep the Hound from coming!"
Dolsten
Nov 9, 2024 2:07 am
Dufgal, still hearing Aldric’s mandate to keep the artifact safe and hidden ringing in his mind, decided to sidestep her probing curiosity.
"Uh, yes, one of dem oughtta fit. Mighty big ‘o you’se for this. I’se gonna tell your townsfolk that you’se helped fix the weapon that felled the hound!"
"Uh, yes, one of dem oughtta fit. Mighty big ‘o you’se for this. I’se gonna tell your townsfolk that you’se helped fix the weapon that felled the hound!"
Nov 9, 2024 3:16 am
DUFGAL
Lifting her eyebrows, the unnamed NPC who may die at any point since she doesn't have a name gestures at the work table with her eyes. "Go on. Put it up on the bench so I can test the fit, then. I might have to rasp the closest haft, shim it -- to get it to fit right. You won't want it flyin' off while you're facin' that thing."
Waiting a beat longer for Dufgal to produce the goods, she adds, "Do you think it'll work? Do you think it can slay the beast?"
Lifting her eyebrows, the unnamed NPC who may die at any point since she doesn't have a name gestures at the work table with her eyes. "Go on. Put it up on the bench so I can test the fit, then. I might have to rasp the closest haft, shim it -- to get it to fit right. You won't want it flyin' off while you're facin' that thing."
Waiting a beat longer for Dufgal to produce the goods, she adds, "Do you think it'll work? Do you think it can slay the beast?"
Nov 9, 2024 3:49 am
The thief with his most valuable stolen bounty gently places the warhammer head on the bench and simply shrugs, "I’se expect it will."
Nov 9, 2024 4:24 am
AT THE WOODSMITH'S (DUFGAL)
The apprentice smith's eyes light when Dufgal produces the impressive warhammer head. The thing shines in the sunlight streaming into the shop, almost seeming to throw off radiance itself. It's a work of art, and the girl waits a moment, swallows, then approaches it carefully.
"It's beautiful," she whispers to the thief, running her rough, blistered fingers over it's silvery, intricately carved surface.
"It is at that," a voice says from the shadows, from an alcove that Dufgal should have been suspicious of. It's a voice that's been ground down by age, by hard living, by mouthfuls of gravel. It belongs to a man the big sneak hasn't seen before, a man with stringy black hair, greasy facial hair and sunken cheeks.
"Where'd you get it, boy?" he asks as his companion steps from the shadows, a younger and more able-bodied looking man. That man fixes a dark glare on the warhammer; a longknife gleams in his hand.
"The church?" the second man says in answer. His voice is softer. Less grating.
"Look at it... it looks like the hammer the priest's bitch-goddess has in the glass."
The apprentice smith's eyes light when Dufgal produces the impressive warhammer head. The thing shines in the sunlight streaming into the shop, almost seeming to throw off radiance itself. It's a work of art, and the girl waits a moment, swallows, then approaches it carefully.
"It's beautiful," she whispers to the thief, running her rough, blistered fingers over it's silvery, intricately carved surface.
Master Jenks
"Where'd you get it, boy?" he asks as his companion steps from the shadows, a younger and more able-bodied looking man. That man fixes a dark glare on the warhammer; a longknife gleams in his hand.
Wolf
"Look at it... it looks like the hammer the priest's bitch-goddess has in the glass."
OOC:
Don't hate me. You rolled a 1, buddy!Nov 9, 2024 4:37 am
Dufgal, startled if not entirely surprised, quickly scans the layout of the workshop. He can’t help but be impressed by the ratty-haired accomplice. In another circumstance, Dufgal might even admire her ploy. But no time for that. What he needs is to get himself and, hopefully, the weapon out of there!
Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(15) + 1 = 16
Nov 9, 2024 4:55 am
OOC:
Not a ton of time to post more tonight, but rolling init for the other three now. Would also like to sync up with Aldric's related scene a bit before we go too far...Rolls
Jenks & Wolf Init - (1d20)
(10) = 10
Apprentice Init - (1d20-2)
(14) - 2 = 12
Nov 9, 2024 5:31 am
"And I'm sure the headwoman appreciates your honesty," Ty soothes, on Anora's behalf. "Never fear. Should we survive the night, you'll have an opportunity to redeem yourself." The elf reaches out and pats at the air, somewhere in the vicinity of Dolsten's shoulder.
And on the matter of the Hound's coming...
"Imprisoning Ru and the Jarl won't help us much. But there may be other ways for them to be useful. At least for tonight."
And on the matter of the Hound's coming...
"Imprisoning Ru and the Jarl won't help us much. But there may be other ways for them to be useful. At least for tonight."
Nov 9, 2024 7:50 am
Anora allows a sideways glance at Ty, suspecting what he means regarding the Jarl and his continued usefulness.
"Perhaps." she allows, speaking as though it was a hard though necessary choice.
"The people may demand it so!" she says, stronger then. She knew they would seek blood. Hopefully she could wield that seeking into something useful.
"The Hound may be contented for a night, and we may find ourselves within the church and the keep, rather than the ale house. Better able to weather the storm, if the hound is not satisfied with the richness of the blood offered…"
To say nothing of calling on the witch to cast her protection over the village entire… A single night was surely a reasonable request.
She motions for Dolsten to stand aside, seeing that the way forward was now clear. She pounds a fist against the church door:
"Father Deacom! Would you come out so that we can speak more freely?" she asks, hoping her charm has carried this far!
"Perhaps." she allows, speaking as though it was a hard though necessary choice.
"The people may demand it so!" she says, stronger then. She knew they would seek blood. Hopefully she could wield that seeking into something useful.
"The Hound may be contented for a night, and we may find ourselves within the church and the keep, rather than the ale house. Better able to weather the storm, if the hound is not satisfied with the richness of the blood offered…"
To say nothing of calling on the witch to cast her protection over the village entire… A single night was surely a reasonable request.
She motions for Dolsten to stand aside, seeing that the way forward was now clear. She pounds a fist against the church door:
"Father Deacom! Would you come out so that we can speak more freely?" she asks, hoping her charm has carried this far!
Nov 9, 2024 4:23 pm
OUTSIDE THE CHURCH (ANORA & TY)
When Ty reaches out to pat the air, Dolsten shifts sideways slightly -- until the elf has found his shoulder and can properly convey his not-very-assuring reassurance.
At the church door, the spitting, swearing crowd parts so that Anora can pound and call out.
There is a long moment of quiet from inside the temple, then the sound of Father Beacom calling back, loud enough to be heard through the thick wood.
"My dear Lady Anora!" he says urgently. "I cannot exit this hallowed church without risking life and limb! I do not know what has possessed the people of Hirot, but surely there is deviltry at play! They are a mob out for blood! Justicia save us all!"
"Get out here, Beacom!" someone shouts from behind Anora. "Send the Thegns out or we'll burn the place!" someone else yells.
Dolsten
At the church door, the spitting, swearing crowd parts so that Anora can pound and call out.
There is a long moment of quiet from inside the temple, then the sound of Father Beacom calling back, loud enough to be heard through the thick wood.
Father Beacom
"Get out here, Beacom!" someone shouts from behind Anora. "Send the Thegns out or we'll burn the place!" someone else yells.
OOC:
BTW, if you are curious, there are really four highly defensible places in town. The front gate of the village with its elevated platform, the Wolf-Spear, and then the (stouter) church, and the (-very- stout) Great Hall.Nov 9, 2024 4:46 pm
AT THE WOODSMITH'S (DUFGAL)
There is a moment in that wood-shoppe that seems pregnant with pause. The apprentice has her hands on the hammer... two threatening-looking men have just revealed themselves. Dufgal's eyes flick, evaluating this options, his ways out with and without the artifact.
Turning, the auburn-haired girl frowns when she sees the newcomers. "Jenks," she says warily, "what are you doing? This might be our chance to be free of the thing!"
There's the main entrance / exit, a door to the back area where the domicile likely is, shuttered windows, and a door that must go to a storeroom.
There is a moment in that wood-shoppe that seems pregnant with pause. The apprentice has her hands on the hammer... two threatening-looking men have just revealed themselves. Dufgal's eyes flick, evaluating this options, his ways out with and without the artifact.
Turning, the auburn-haired girl frowns when she sees the newcomers. "Jenks," she says warily, "what are you doing? This might be our chance to be free of the thing!"
OOC:
Dufgal is up! It will take an action to move and grab the hammerhead if you want. You could also move after that, but you might imagine only so far (30').There's the main entrance / exit, a door to the back area where the domicile likely is, shuttered windows, and a door that must go to a storeroom.
Nov 9, 2024 5:20 pm
Figuring the jig is up, Dufgal moves more swiftly than it seems his body can, grabs back the priceless artifact and rushes toward the door he was led into by the girl. He is fully expecting to be challenged by word or blade, but he hopes that his momentum will carry him back outside where he might saved by the eyes of bystanders. He well knows that thieves thrive in the anonymity of shadows. Damn! He should have checked the alcoves.
Nov 9, 2024 7:31 pm
Aldric is fucking busy. If he had more time, he might have taken a moment to speak about the excellent opportunities in the cult of Pelagia for a freakish, terrifying little girl like this one. Much like Dufgal, he saw the potential in people.
He returns her smile with his own mad smile, as if kindred spirits were meeting.
"Blood and bones, now you are the kind of person I'm looking for. A practical person, undoubtedly. Did you see a big man with the look of a killer cross by here?"
If the girl plays games or seems unhelpful, Aldric will keep moving toward where he thinks Dufgal went.
He returns her smile with his own mad smile, as if kindred spirits were meeting.
"Blood and bones, now you are the kind of person I'm looking for. A practical person, undoubtedly. Did you see a big man with the look of a killer cross by here?"
If the girl plays games or seems unhelpful, Aldric will keep moving toward where he thinks Dufgal went.
Rolls
Roll under luck (9) - (1d20)
(12) = 12
Catkins
Nov 9, 2024 8:19 pm
IN THE ALLEY (ALDRIC)
"Your big, dumb-lookin' friend?" Catkins says, scrambling down from the crates. When she lands with an "Umph!" on the ground, she blinks her big eyes up at the man, then smiles that crooked smile with what looks like too many teeth.
"I seen him. You're the holy man, the pisser, right? One of the strangers..."
Catkins
"I seen him. You're the holy man, the pisser, right? One of the strangers..."
Nov 9, 2024 9:35 pm
Aldric nods. "'The Strangers' has a good ring to it. Very mysterious." But, he must not get distracted by this delightful little girl.
"So which way did the big, dumb-looking man go?" He was going to give this one last shot.
"So which way did the big, dumb-looking man go?" He was going to give this one last shot.
Last edited November 10, 2024 1:01 am
Nov 10, 2024 4:32 am
AT THE WOODSMITH'S (DUFGAL)
Dufgal makes his move, grabbing the ornate warhammer head from here the would-be smith was looking at it -- then he bolts for the door without saying a word. The younger of the two men moves to intercept him, knife in hand... but the big thief is too fast. He's busting outside as the blade swishes through empty air!
Dufgal makes his move, grabbing the ornate warhammer head from here the would-be smith was looking at it -- then he bolts for the door without saying a word. The younger of the two men moves to intercept him, knife in hand... but the big thief is too fast. He's busting outside as the blade swishes through empty air!
Rolls
Blade Attack! (vs. AC 12) - (1d20+1)
(2) + 1 = 3
Nov 10, 2024 4:50 am
IN THE ALLEY & OUTSIDE THE WOODSMITH'S (ALDRIC & DUFGAL)
"Oh you knows," the girl with the wild eyes says to Aldric, "that ways."
The gesture she makes with her head is entirely unhelpful, as the priest could interpret the direction she loosely indicates as one of about four different pathways. Either the girl didn't really see him, or she's--
A crash from down the alley grabs up Aldric's attention, and when his eyes dart -- there! Almost on cue, Dufgal has come thundering out of a building a hundred feet down the way! He holds the gleaming warhammer head in both hands, and seems under some duress.
Behind the fleeing ruffian, back in the shop, there comes a squawk and a growl. Dufgal hears the man clearly.
"Oh oh! Put that back, you dog!" Master Jenks calls out. "Give us that relic or this here apprentice won't draw another breath!"
Dufgal, you're in an alley, away from the market square now. Not too many prying / protecting eyes here...
ROUND 2
Init Order: Dufgal, Jenks, Wolf, Catkins, Apprentice, Aldric [TBD]
Catkins
The gesture she makes with her head is entirely unhelpful, as the priest could interpret the direction she loosely indicates as one of about four different pathways. Either the girl didn't really see him, or she's--
A crash from down the alley grabs up Aldric's attention, and when his eyes dart -- there! Almost on cue, Dufgal has come thundering out of a building a hundred feet down the way! He holds the gleaming warhammer head in both hands, and seems under some duress.
Master Jenks
"Oh oh! Put that back, you dog!" Master Jenks calls out. "Give us that relic or this here apprentice won't draw another breath!"
OOC:
Let's gfet Aldric looped into the combat round. Roll your initiative, please, Aldric. 1d20 + your init mod.Dufgal, you're in an alley, away from the market square now. Not too many prying / protecting eyes here...
ROUND 2
Init Order: Dufgal, Jenks, Wolf, Catkins, Apprentice, Aldric [TBD]
Nov 10, 2024 5:10 am
Aldric gently places a hand under the special girl's chin, lifting her face to meet his gaze. His voice is low and fatherly, as though sharing a secret.
"Thank you. Thank you very much. Fancy a go with these cunts? I bet you have at least one sharp knife hidden away in that pretty dress."
Releasing her chin, he glances in the direction he hopes Dufgal is heading and begins to follow. Aldric had expected Dufgal to protect him, not the other way around—but, clearly, these were strange times.
"Thank you. Thank you very much. Fancy a go with these cunts? I bet you have at least one sharp knife hidden away in that pretty dress."
Releasing her chin, he glances in the direction he hopes Dufgal is heading and begins to follow. Aldric had expected Dufgal to protect him, not the other way around—but, clearly, these were strange times.
Rolls
Initiative - (1d20-2)
(1) - 2 = -1
Nov 10, 2024 5:58 am
Already gripping the warhammer head tightly, Dufgal turns on a shekel and attempts to drive the pointy end into the chest of the thug chasing him.
"You’se wanted THIS!?!"
"You’se wanted THIS!?!"
Rolls
Dufgal: warhammer* - Roll - (1d20+1)
(16) + 1 = 17
Dmg+Str - (1d5+1)
(3) + 1 = 4
Nov 10, 2024 10:36 am
Happily ignorant of the trouble two of her fellow Strangers had gotten into, Anora raises a steady hand for quiet!
"Deviltry, yes! We have the story in its entirety now, Father! The whole charade has been laid bare! We know of Sylle Ru and the Jarl’s mischief…" she says, falling short of including the priest in the plot.
"I would happily explain it to you, if you would just come on out. I can vouch for your safety." she says, believing very much that she could in that moment… at least for the short term.
"Deviltry, yes! We have the story in its entirety now, Father! The whole charade has been laid bare! We know of Sylle Ru and the Jarl’s mischief…" she says, falling short of including the priest in the plot.
"I would happily explain it to you, if you would just come on out. I can vouch for your safety." she says, believing very much that she could in that moment… at least for the short term.
Nov 10, 2024 6:01 pm
OOC:
Dufgal, let's say the pointy end of the warhammer is somewhere between a dagger and a shortsword: 1d5!Anora, make a PER check, please, vs. DC 15. With this gathered crowd, it's a tall order to expect even a friend to come out...
Nov 10, 2024 6:14 pm
IN THE ALLEY (ALDRIC)
The girl nods and grins when Aldric asks her if she fancies a go.
But when he releases her chin, the little fiend giggles and snaps at him with those teeth, trying to bite his finger!The girl's teeth sink painfully into the priest's flesh and blood spurts! Catkins growls like an animal and holds fast as the man tries to pull his hand away -- to no avail!
ROUND 2
Init Order: Dufgal, Jenks, Wolf, Catkins, Apprentice, Aldric
Catkins
But when he releases her chin, the little fiend giggles and snaps at him with those teeth, trying to bite his finger!
OOC:
Aldric doesn't see this coming (Nat 1), so giving her +1d on the attack! If she succeeds by 5, she's latched on! She'll crit on 20 or 24.OOC:
That's 1 damage, and getting free will be an Opposed STR check... on your next turn... at the end of Round 3. We'll cover this as the Round comes up, but she'll deal 1 more damage next round and you'll need to make a Fort save to keep her from biting off your finger!ROUND 2
Init Order: Dufgal, Jenks, Wolf, Catkins, Apprentice, Aldric
Rolls
CHOMP (vs. AC 11 as he doesn't have his shield equipped) - (1d24+1)
(21) + 1 = 22
Nov 11, 2024 6:10 am
IN THE ALLEY & OUTSIDE THE WOODSMITH'S (ALDRIC & DUFGAL)
"Urk!" the man pursuing Dufgal cries as he barges through the door -- straight into the business end of the warhammer the big thief stabbed at him with.
The point of the weapon pierces the man's chest and probably one of his lungs easily; he gurgles and slides off the spike, collapsing into the muck of the alley without a further word.Dufgal, now blood-drenched, hears the other man who is still inside (and therefore out of sight) shout louder, more insistently.
"Stranger! Bring back that hammer or I'll slit this girl's throat! Her blood will be on your hands, boy!"
Further up the alley, Aldric recovers from the shock of the psychotic-seeming girl's sudden attack, but still has to contend with her sharp teeth, with her furiously, loudly, and very painfully trying to bite his finger off!Dufgal and Aldric can take their actions. If Dufgal wants to close with Aldric and Catkins, it will take his whole action to run there.
ROUND 3
Init Order: Dufgal, Jenks, Wolf, Catkins, Apprentice, Aldric
Wolf
The point of the weapon pierces the man's chest and probably one of his lungs easily; he gurgles and slides off the spike, collapsing into the muck of the alley without a further word.
OOC:
He's either dead or incapacitated, Dufgal. Murdiddliurdler!Master Jenks
"Stranger! Bring back that hammer or I'll slit this girl's throat! Her blood will be on your hands, boy!"
Further up the alley, Aldric recovers from the shock of the psychotic-seeming girl's sudden attack, but still has to contend with her sharp teeth, with her furiously, loudly, and very painfully trying to bite his finger off!
OOC:
Take 1 damage and make a Fort Save, Aldric. (I think you should be at 1/3 now.)[ +- ] Fort Save Results! If you hit...
DC 15 or better: escape with your finger bloodied but intact! You'll have scars.
Hit DC 10-14: the little fiend strips big chunks of flesh from your finger, exposing the bone. It will heal in 1 week, but you'll have a -1d penalty on actions with that hand while it's healing.
Hit DC 5-9: Catkins bites off the end of your finger. It will heal in 1d3 weeks but you'll have a -1d penalty on actions with that hand while it's healing.
Hit DC 2-4: Catkins bites off your finger. The stump will heal in 2d3 weeks but you'll have a -1d penalty on actions with that hand while it's healing.
DC 1: A fumble. Catkins ravagers your whole hand, mangling it. We'll determine how badly if you roll the Nat 1.
Hit DC 10-14: the little fiend strips big chunks of flesh from your finger, exposing the bone. It will heal in 1 week, but you'll have a -1d penalty on actions with that hand while it's healing.
Hit DC 5-9: Catkins bites off the end of your finger. It will heal in 1d3 weeks but you'll have a -1d penalty on actions with that hand while it's healing.
Hit DC 2-4: Catkins bites off your finger. The stump will heal in 2d3 weeks but you'll have a -1d penalty on actions with that hand while it's healing.
DC 1: A fumble. Catkins ravagers your whole hand, mangling it. We'll determine how badly if you roll the Nat 1.
ROUND 3
Init Order: Dufgal, Jenks, Wolf, Catkins, Apprentice, Aldric
Nov 11, 2024 6:16 am
OUTSIDE THE CHURCH (ANORA & TY)
"I would hear of this charade, this mischief!" Father Beacom calls through the heavy door, his voice muffled.
"But I dare not risk venturing outside these walls, Anora! The townsfolk are mad, they are possessed by some sinister force that causes them to wish me harm! Instead, I will try to allow you entry so that you may find shelter 'neath Justicia's wing!"
Father Beacom
"But I dare not risk venturing outside these walls, Anora! The townsfolk are mad, they are possessed by some sinister force that causes them to wish me harm! Instead, I will try to allow you entry so that you may find shelter 'neath Justicia's wing!"
OOC:
NOPE.Nov 11, 2024 7:21 am
Dufgal feels more satisfaction than remorse as the thug slides off the weapon and into a lifeless heap. He made his choice. As did the girl. Likely, the gruff-voiced man was bluffing anyway. So, the thief wipes the weapon clean on its victim’s clothes and then tucks it under his cloak.
He scans the area to assess whether any witnesses saw the fray. That’s when he sees what makes no sense to him, but it fills him with dread nonetheless. Somehow, Pelagia’s unlikely champion was being maimed by a ragged urchin.
Rather than cleaning up the bloody mess, Dufgal instinctively makes haste to support Aldric in case the situation becomes unmanageable for him.
He scans the area to assess whether any witnesses saw the fray. That’s when he sees what makes no sense to him, but it fills him with dread nonetheless. Somehow, Pelagia’s unlikely champion was being maimed by a ragged urchin.
Rather than cleaning up the bloody mess, Dufgal instinctively makes haste to support Aldric in case the situation becomes unmanageable for him.
OOC:
Can you tell me if there were any other witnesses?Rolls
Testing Luck (vs 10) - (1d16)
(10) = 10
Nov 11, 2024 3:19 pm
OOC:
Add a Luck check to your post to determine if there are witnesses, Dufgal. I’ve described the townsfolk all heading for the square as the hubbub builds, so enjoy -1d to the roll-under die. (Make it a d16.)Also, it takes a moment (an action) to clean the hammer, so I’ll rule that Dufgal gets halfway to the scrum. Another move action and he’ll be there.
Nov 11, 2024 7:14 pm
Aldric reels in horror as the psycho girl sinks her teeth into his knuckle flesh.His finger dangles from her mouth as his stump spurts blood. Not much sensical comes to his lips, just a series of foul curses dripping with agony.
He grabs his wave-cursed oar and attempts to bash her skull in.
OOC:
Hit DC 2-4: Catkins bites off your finger. The stump will heal in 2d3 weeks but you'll have a -1d penalty on actions with that hand while it's healing.He grabs his wave-cursed oar and attempts to bash her skull in.
OOC:
Assuming that attacking with the oar counts as using the wounded hand, so -1d, and -2 for Pelagia's disapproval curse, and -1 because Aldric's is impaired body from crone fucking.Last edited November 11, 2024 7:23 pm
Rolls
Fort Save (DC 15) - (1d20)
(3) = 3
weeks of healing - (2d3)
(11) = 2
oar attack! - (1d16-3, 1d5)
1d16-3 : (15) - 3 = 12
1d5 : (1) = 1
Nov 11, 2024 10:42 pm
IN THE ALLEY (ALDRIC & DUFGAL)
Dufgal races up the alley towards Aldric and the vile little urchin that appears to be hanging from the man’s hand… by her teeth?! There’s a terrible, wet ripping sound and suddenly the girl stumbles back, spits something out and grins a red grin at the shocked, wounded priest. She might be about to say something, but Aldric’s oar flashes and clonks her on the head, hard. The girl goes ass over teakettle and lands flat on her face in front of the big thief, who arrives with his prize.
As he closes in, Dufgal notes not just the now unconscious girl, but a finger lying on the ground and Aldric clutching at a spurting finger stump. Blood bubbles and drizzles onto the ground as the man winces.
Then, down at the shop Dufgal just vacated, near where Wolf lies dying on the ground, the older bedraggled man emerges, knife in hand. Seeing his downed companion, he exclaims unintelligibly and kneels down.
"You stabbed him, you bastard!" he shouts. "He’s fucking bleeding to death!"
ROUND 4
Init Order: Dufgal, Jenks, Wolf, Catkins, Apprentice?, Aldric
Dufgal races up the alley towards Aldric and the vile little urchin that appears to be hanging from the man’s hand… by her teeth?! There’s a terrible, wet ripping sound and suddenly the girl stumbles back, spits something out and grins a red grin at the shocked, wounded priest. She might be about to say something, but Aldric’s oar flashes and clonks her on the head, hard. The girl goes ass over teakettle and lands flat on her face in front of the big thief, who arrives with his prize.
As he closes in, Dufgal notes not just the now unconscious girl, but a finger lying on the ground and Aldric clutching at a spurting finger stump. Blood bubbles and drizzles onto the ground as the man winces.
Master Jenks
"You stabbed him, you bastard!" he shouts. "He’s fucking bleeding to death!"
OOC:
Top of Round 4 — Catkins and Wolf are down, and I believe Dufgal is up again. Hit me with any questions in the Discord, hopefully I’ve not forgotten anything! (Discussed on the Discord, Aldric spent 1 Luck to drop Catkins.)ROUND 4
Init Order: Dufgal, Jenks, Wolf, Catkins, Apprentice?, Aldric
Nov 12, 2024 7:36 am
As Dufgal approaches Aldric, intending to throttle the threat, he is surprised by the swift strike to the head by the oar of Pelagia.
He barely has time to react when he hears Jenks from behind him. He quickly decides to veer off and disappear behind a building. He cannot be certain that Jenks knows of his affiliation with the cleric, so he figures that he can de-escalate by disappearing.
He barely has time to react when he hears Jenks from behind him. He quickly decides to veer off and disappear behind a building. He cannot be certain that Jenks knows of his affiliation with the cleric, so he figures that he can de-escalate by disappearing.
OOC:
Ideally, Dufgal will get in position to backstab Jenks if he does harass Aldric. Otherwise, getting out of sight serves many functions. He will keep within eyesight of the cleric.Nov 13, 2024 2:29 am
IN THE ALLEY (ALDRIC & DUFGAL)
Down near the shop, Jenks begins working on Wolf, trying to save the man's life.
Dufgal, did you want to kill Wolf outright, or leave his fate to a die roll?
ROUND 4
Init Order: Dufgal, Jenks, Wolf, Catkins, Apprentice?, Aldric
Down near the shop, Jenks begins working on Wolf, trying to save the man's life.
OOC:
Aldric is up. (No hurry, Len!)Dufgal, did you want to kill Wolf outright, or leave his fate to a die roll?
ROUND 4
Init Order: Dufgal, Jenks, Wolf, Catkins, Apprentice?, Aldric
Rolls
Wolf's Fate - (1d20)
(3) = 3
Nov 13, 2024 2:43 am
OOC:
Dufgal acts with no malice, simply arising to meet circumstances. In that situation, Wolf was in between him and his retreat. So, let the fates decide whether he lives or dies.Nov 13, 2024 6:04 am
"This is a waste of our time and our talents!" Anora says quietly to Ty, feeling flustered at the priest’s stubbornness.
"Yes! Yes! I suppose that would suffice, Father!" she calls out, while ushering some of the more burly villagers into place so that they can seize on any breach.
"If you would just open the door, I’ll slip inside!" she says, readying a spell in her mind in case.
"Yes! Yes! I suppose that would suffice, Father!" she calls out, while ushering some of the more burly villagers into place so that they can seize on any breach.
"If you would just open the door, I’ll slip inside!" she says, readying a spell in her mind in case.
Nov 13, 2024 6:54 am
Aldric is satisfied by the cracking sound hitting the young psycho's stupid face, but it makes for a poor compensation for the pain in his hand. "FUCK!" Aldric cries out, clutching his hand once more as Dufgal arrives. He tries to draw upon Pelagia's mercy (a dry well, that) to heal his stump.
"Ah, Dufgal! I have never been so happy to see you! By all that is holy and true, please do not leave my side."When he reveals his wounded hand now, the bleeding is gone, and the stump is completely healed over. The finger, of course, has not grown back.
"Ah, Dufgal! I have never been so happy to see you! By all that is holy and true, please do not leave my side."
OOC:
Performing lay on hands on myself. Got a 11, which is just barely a failure, so i am going to spend 1 luck to make it succeed.Last edited November 13, 2024 6:57 am
Rolls
Lay on hands spell check! - (1d20-3)
(14) - 3 = 11
Healing - (1d8)
(8) = 8
Nov 13, 2024 1:03 pm
Ty was not present when the lockbox was opened, having been called away at that crucial moment by Father Aldric's plight with Kreig the thegn. (It amuses the Fates to demand his service and then frustrate his success. With good reason does the elf avoid the Three Weavers whenever he can.) From the general furor, Ty has been able to intuit that the lottery was rigged, but not precisely how.
Was Father Beacom truly aware of the ruse? What of the thegns holed up with him?
"Is it possible, Lady Blue, that some of those within are quite ignorant of the Jarl's scheme? What was the manner of it? Tell them, and a few at least may come over to our side."
Was Father Beacom truly aware of the ruse? What of the thegns holed up with him?
"Is it possible, Lady Blue, that some of those within are quite ignorant of the Jarl's scheme? What was the manner of it? Tell them, and a few at least may come over to our side."
Last edited November 13, 2024 1:06 pm
Nov 14, 2024 2:38 am
The burly thief makes eye contact with Aldric as he veers off path and into the shadows. He trusts that his intent is clearly supportive and not neglectful. His expression might be translated as, "I’se trying to draw ‘im off you!" even though all the cleric can see are two caterpillars doing the wave across his brow.
OOC:
And, yes, Dufgal would duck in a hidey-hole towards the market if there was a suitable one. Last edited November 14, 2024 2:38 am
Nov 14, 2024 4:51 am
Anora raises a hand once again; this time for the villagers to wait another moment.
She clears her throat, and calls once again to the Father:
"We have… since learned that the lottery was fixed by the Jarl and his sorcerer. The people are upset, and suspect the church’s involvement. What do you know of the selection process, Father?"
She clears her throat, and calls once again to the Father:
"We have… since learned that the lottery was fixed by the Jarl and his sorcerer. The people are upset, and suspect the church’s involvement. What do you know of the selection process, Father?"
Master Jenks
Nov 14, 2024 5:14 am
IN THE ALLEY (ALDRIC & DUFGAL)
It takes some cajoling, perhaps some pleading and an utterance or two he'll regret later, but Pelagia's briny agents do heal Aldric's injured hand. He lacks a finger, but the bleeding has stopped and the pain has subsided.
Down the alley, Jenks, his hands bloodied, cries out. "Call for a healer! Get the priest! I need fucking bandages!"
ROUND 5
Init Order: Dufgal, Jenks, Wolf, Catkins, Apprentice?, Aldric
It takes some cajoling, perhaps some pleading and an utterance or two he'll regret later, but Pelagia's briny agents do heal Aldric's injured hand. He lacks a finger, but the bleeding has stopped and the pain has subsided.
Master Jenks
OOC:
So let's figure out which finger is gone! Aldric, roll 1d4 with 1 being the index finger, please. You're both up -- Jenks doesn't seem to have much fight or pursuit in him, and Catkins is out cold. We can drop from combat rounds unless you two do something crazy.ROUND 5
Init Order: Dufgal, Jenks, Wolf, Catkins, Apprentice?, Aldric
Father Beacom
Nov 14, 2024 5:24 am
AT THE CHURCH (ANORA & TY)
The crowd outside Justicia's temple, who are growling the names of those who have been sacrificed in this farce, friends and relatives, quiet when Anora calls for their silence.
Then, a moment after Anora says what she does, there comes the sound of the doors unlocking. Both acolytes push them open and hold them wide; inside Anora and Ty see in the entry vestibule that three of the four Thegns stand wild-eyed and ready to cut down or impale anyone entering with ill-intent. An attacker would need to face those three before coming within ten feet of Beacom, who steps out from behind the largest of the trio.
"Anora. Say this again? What have you discovered about the lottery? I verify the name once the Jarl plucks it from the box. To prove the identity of the one selected! Not everyone in Hirot can read, you see..."
The crowd outside Justicia's temple, who are growling the names of those who have been sacrificed in this farce, friends and relatives, quiet when Anora calls for their silence.
Then, a moment after Anora says what she does, there comes the sound of the doors unlocking. Both acolytes push them open and hold them wide; inside Anora and Ty see in the entry vestibule that three of the four Thegns stand wild-eyed and ready to cut down or impale anyone entering with ill-intent. An attacker would need to face those three before coming within ten feet of Beacom, who steps out from behind the largest of the trio.
"Anora. Say this again? What have you discovered about the lottery? I verify the name once the Jarl plucks it from the box. To prove the identity of the one selected! Not everyone in Hirot can read, you see..."
Father Beacom
Nov 14, 2024 2:16 pm
OOC:
Which finger? Phew, the index finger. He can still make prone gestures. Now he's going to use his middle finger to point at everything.Last edited November 14, 2024 2:18 pm
Rolls
finger - (1d4)
(1) = 1
Nov 14, 2024 3:28 pm
Dufgal beckons to Aldric and flashes the gleaming metal of the prize to reassure him that it is safe.
Nov 14, 2024 10:07 pm
Aldric throws Dufgal a sly grin and murmurs a low, "Good man!" as he slips into the shadows with the hulking thief. On his way, he steps on the back of the finger-biting waif, pressing her face into the mud as he passes her prone form.
Aldric gestures with his middle finger down the street to the man calling for a healer, and whispers to Dufgal an obvious question.
"Did you stab him with the gods-fucked hammer? Praise Pelagia, how did it go? Did it feel ... potent? Surged with power, perhaps?"
He was eager to know if their caper had finally paid off.
Aldric gestures with his middle finger down the street to the man calling for a healer, and whispers to Dufgal an obvious question.
"Did you stab him with the gods-fucked hammer? Praise Pelagia, how did it go? Did it feel ... potent? Surged with power, perhaps?"
He was eager to know if their caper had finally paid off.
Nov 15, 2024 2:25 am
OOC:
During that brief assault, Dufgal did not notice anything special about the warhammer head.Nov 15, 2024 3:10 am
As soon as he thinks Aldric and he are totally out of sight, he quietly answers the cleric. "As po-tent as mah fist!"
It seems Dufgal was new to the word, but did his best. His grin was more emotion than had graced his face in a week. Camaraderie with Aldric, a sense of purpose here in Hirot, and small successes along the way have all combined in the thief as some measure of giddyness. He feels as if he had snuck three sips of his dad’s special juice.
It seems Dufgal was new to the word, but did his best. His grin was more emotion than had graced his face in a week. Camaraderie with Aldric, a sense of purpose here in Hirot, and small successes along the way have all combined in the thief as some measure of giddyness. He feels as if he had snuck three sips of his dad’s special juice.
Nov 15, 2024 12:39 pm
Anora takes a defiant step forward, so as to better speak with the Father. She hadn’t been cowed by the Jarl’s dogs thus far, and she certainly wouldn’t be cowed now that the village stood at her back!
"Of course. You did your duty well.
As for the farce, well… the Jarl had introduced a mechanism with which he could select a name in advance, and place it aside for easy plucking during the pubic lottery. A rudimentary misdirect, but quite effective." she says, with some lament in her voice.
"Of course. You did your duty well.
As for the farce, well… the Jarl had introduced a mechanism with which he could select a name in advance, and place it aside for easy plucking during the pubic lottery. A rudimentary misdirect, but quite effective." she says, with some lament in her voice.
Nov 16, 2024 1:18 am
AT THE CHURCH (ANORA & TY, ALDRIC & DUFGAL APPROACH?)
Anora's words resonate inside the church, inside the structure architected to amplify just such tones of voice -- such declarations. Several villagers have spilled and filled in behind her, but none look too keen to press forward with their knifes and clubs in the face of the cold steel wielded by the three on-guard Thegns. They are Ofenloch, Kreig, and Haedrick, their names muttered in some fear by the villagers gathering behind the lady in blue. Behind them, Utherl is prostrate on the ground, evidently still recovering from the cord Dufgal had drawn across his neck.
Ofenloch holds both sword and shortspear in his strong hands. The quiet, scarred man has only one eye and a stink Anora can smell from ten paces, but he certainly looks able-bodied enough to split two or three skulls before the villagers could overwhelm him.
Haedrick and the strangers have spoken before, at the Wolf-Spear. He seems perhaps smarter and more sensible than most of the other Thegns -- he seems canny. The mustachioed northman wears a heavy fur cloak and wields a hand-and-a-half sword that gleams in the candlelight.
Kreig is the man with the topknot and the facial tattoos who pursued Aldric, and who Ty blinded. He seems to see well enough now. He was at the tavern earlier as well, and stands a head above the others. They know by now he is quick to anger and to judge. He lacks a keen edge on his wit, perhaps, but the battleaxe the brute hefts is enough by itself to give Anora's whole party pause.
The two silent brothers keep the doors open as Father Beacom comes further forward, his brow knitting and his jaw clenching at the sorceress's words.
"This is a grave accusation, Lady Anora. Be clear. You mean to say the Jarl has been choosing who dies in the lottery this whole time?"
Anora's words resonate inside the church, inside the structure architected to amplify just such tones of voice -- such declarations. Several villagers have spilled and filled in behind her, but none look too keen to press forward with their knifes and clubs in the face of the cold steel wielded by the three on-guard Thegns. They are Ofenloch, Kreig, and Haedrick, their names muttered in some fear by the villagers gathering behind the lady in blue. Behind them, Utherl is prostrate on the ground, evidently still recovering from the cord Dufgal had drawn across his neck.
Ofenloch
Haedrick
Kreig
The two silent brothers keep the doors open as Father Beacom comes further forward, his brow knitting and his jaw clenching at the sorceress's words.
Father Beacom
OOC:
Ty, you're free to post and get a word in as well, obviously, and I think Aldric and Dufgal are free to head to the church if they desire. (Or somewhere else -- but if they come back to the market, they will see the crowd gathering at the front of the church. Something is going on inside, clearly.)Nov 16, 2024 6:51 pm
The pain of losing a finger had completely abated now, due to Pelagia's healing touch. He considers fetching his severed finger, but decides to leave it in the mud alongside the bitch child.
Gods be damned, that one has such potential!
There is precious little time for scheming, however, as Aldric overhears the growing fury of the townsolk gathered at the market square. Glorious! Now that he had reunited with Brother Dufgal, it was time to find the elf and the wizard. Who knows how much trouble they had gotten into without Pelagia's guidance!
"The others are surely in need of our skills Dufgal! Lead us through this crowd! Or through the shadows, if you think it best."
Gods be damned, that one has such potential!
There is precious little time for scheming, however, as Aldric overhears the growing fury of the townsolk gathered at the market square. Glorious! Now that he had reunited with Brother Dufgal, it was time to find the elf and the wizard. Who knows how much trouble they had gotten into without Pelagia's guidance!
"The others are surely in need of our skills Dufgal! Lead us through this crowd! Or through the shadows, if you think it best."
OOC:
Heading toward the church! If Dufgal doesn't come, Aldric will go it alone.Last edited November 16, 2024 6:52 pm
Nov 16, 2024 9:33 pm
Dufgal was just waiting to return to the unpredictable leadership of Aldric, who was always brushing against the mysterium tremendum.
He leaps to the task and winds their way back to the church.
He leaps to the task and winds their way back to the church.
Nov 17, 2024 3:40 pm
Ty stands placidly beside Anora the Blue, doing his best to appear as if he can't see the three thegns bristling with weapons behind Beacom. They haven't spoken, after all; the blind beggar that he pretends to be-- sometimes, and poorly-- would not know that they are there, apart from the occasional creak of leather or jingle of mail.
"That is precisely what we are saying, reverend father. Much as it pains me to speak it," Tyravasiel-Llir declares, not sounding especially pained. "We suspect that the Jarl has been using this scheme to protect his allies and to doom any who have crossed him. We know not who among the thegns are privy to the plot; perhaps not many, or even none. Surely no brave man who loves his homeland would stand for such a violation of his neighbors and kin."
As he speaks, Ty watches the thegns assembled in the church for their reactions.
"That is precisely what we are saying, reverend father. Much as it pains me to speak it," Tyravasiel-Llir declares, not sounding especially pained. "We suspect that the Jarl has been using this scheme to protect his allies and to doom any who have crossed him. We know not who among the thegns are privy to the plot; perhaps not many, or even none. Surely no brave man who loves his homeland would stand for such a violation of his neighbors and kin."
As he speaks, Ty watches the thegns assembled in the church for their reactions.
Nov 17, 2024 5:59 pm
As Ty lifts his voice to address the priest, Dufgal hears it and turns to look over his shoulder at Aldric. His grin is childish as if the timing of sneaking out of church worked and they just got back before trouble had found them.
Then he gives up the crouching stance and stands tall, walking proudly into the public square and toward the entrance of the church where he can now see his crewmates.
Then he gives up the crouching stance and stands tall, walking proudly into the public square and toward the entrance of the church where he can now see his crewmates.
Nov 18, 2024 5:24 am
Anora meets the gaze of each broad man that stands behind the priest. They would surely cut her down, if given half the chance. The woman had certainly encouraged that desire in them since her first arrival.
Still, she trusts her magic, and that she could bring them all low before they could close the gap! Hirot’s finest would cut the throats and bash the brains of sleeping or bound men right here on the church floor.
"The Jarl, and his pet magician." Anora adds, ensuring that Sylle Ru couldn’t slither out of this trap. The man had scoffed at the blue wizardess at their first meeting, and so she was committed to his deserved end!
Still, she trusts her magic, and that she could bring them all low before they could close the gap! Hirot’s finest would cut the throats and bash the brains of sleeping or bound men right here on the church floor.
"The Jarl, and his pet magician." Anora adds, ensuring that Sylle Ru couldn’t slither out of this trap. The man had scoffed at the blue wizardess at their first meeting, and so she was committed to his deserved end!
Nov 18, 2024 6:05 am
IN THE CHURCH (ANORA & TY, ALDRIC & DUFGAL ARRIVING)
Beacom's eyes narrow as Ty backs and reinforces Anora's claim, and Ofenloch can be heard to growl, "I knew it!"
Anora speaks up again then, naming Sylle Ru as well as an actor in this dreadful play.
"Now that I believe! This cannot stand. The Radiant Arbiter will see justice meted for this outrage!" the priest bellows, shocking and drawing reactions from everyone present, especially the thegns and Hirot's villagers.
Morgan, feeling vindicated and empowered, lifts her chin and throws her shoulders back defiantly as she steps forward. The motion parts the girl's cloak and draws the ashamed eyes of the acolyte nearest her to her swelling chest as she draws a deep breath of air... but it is the fierce expression on her face that everyone else sees. When she speaks, her voice fairly booms.
"There is only one thing that will see justice done here, Father Beacom, and we all know what it is!"
By now Aldric and Dufgal are at the back of the throng of villagers who are pressing into the church, and they are hearing the conversation clearly. Anora and Ty do not know they have joined the mob.
Looking troubled as there are cries for blood following Morgan's declaration, Haedrick tries to calm the crowd with a raised hand. "Hold! Hold, everyone!"
Tempers and ire are not quelled by the man's efforts, so he raises his voice further to be heard. Behind him, veins throb in Kreig's temple and neck. His glower has only intensified and he grips his axe tightly.
"What proof! What proof is there?" Haedrick asks. "Anora the Blue, Ty the Blind Beggar -- how came you to know this? How may we know it for true as well?"
Ofenloch
Anora speaks up again then, naming Sylle Ru as well as an actor in this dreadful play.
Father Beacom
Morgan Haverson
"There is only one thing that will see justice done here, Father Beacom, and we all know what it is!"
By now Aldric and Dufgal are at the back of the throng of villagers who are pressing into the church, and they are hearing the conversation clearly. Anora and Ty do not know they have joined the mob.
Haedrick
Tempers and ire are not quelled by the man's efforts, so he raises his voice further to be heard. Behind him, veins throb in Kreig's temple and neck. His glower has only intensified and he grips his axe tightly.
"What proof! What proof is there?" Haedrick asks. "Anora the Blue, Ty the Blind Beggar -- how came you to know this? How may we know it for true as well?"
Nov 18, 2024 5:59 pm
Dufgal, upon hearing that the thegns need further convincing, runs to the strongbox to grab the smaller box within that was used for the ruse.
OOC:
He will then run it over to Anora, but that might take two rounds. Nov 19, 2024 1:52 am
Aldric tries to keep up with Dufgal, but it is a struggle, what with the thickness of the air around his legs and the moistness of his skin. He sees Dufgal racing over to the ruins of the strongbox to gather the evidence, and winces.
"Um, Dufgal, you really shouldn't touch ... !?"
But he is too far behind to warn him what had happened to the box. Maybe ignorance was bliss?
However, the trusty thief's sanitary sacrifice will all be for naught if he cannot return in time. With his great, loud preacher's voice, Aldric calls to those in the church. "Make way for Dufgal, Chosen of Pelagia, to bring forth indisputable evidence of these deeds most foul!"
"Um, Dufgal, you really shouldn't touch ... !?"
But he is too far behind to warn him what had happened to the box. Maybe ignorance was bliss?
However, the trusty thief's sanitary sacrifice will all be for naught if he cannot return in time. With his great, loud preacher's voice, Aldric calls to those in the church. "Make way for Dufgal, Chosen of Pelagia, to bring forth indisputable evidence of these deeds most foul!"
Nov 19, 2024 2:17 am
"We braved opening the box! For that, we had to draw away the Jarl’s men! Brave and strong they are! For that misdeed, my group and I can only ask forgiveness!
We couldn’t face them in arms. Nor did we want to! We knew they would be as incensed as we, when they heard the truth. And so we drew them away!" Anora says, trying to weave mundane words in a way that might butter up the Jarl’s warriors.
"Once we uncovered the trick, we showed the mechanism to the gathered folk of Hirot. Every person here will swear to what they saw!"
We couldn’t face them in arms. Nor did we want to! We knew they would be as incensed as we, when they heard the truth. And so we drew them away!" Anora says, trying to weave mundane words in a way that might butter up the Jarl’s warriors.
"Once we uncovered the trick, we showed the mechanism to the gathered folk of Hirot. Every person here will swear to what they saw!"
Nov 19, 2024 4:07 am
IN THE CHURCH (ANORA, TY & ALDRIC)
Several voices are raised to support Anora, none louder than Morgan’s.
"I— I saw it! A smaller box, a wooden tray with raised sides — constructed to allow the easy picking of a single piece of parchment from the center of the larger strongbox!"
Dolsten nods and further supports the story.
"I saw it too," the man adds. "Means to place one name in harm’s way… and then pick that name without anyone knowing the draw was not chance!"
It is then that Aldric announces his presence, and that Dufgal will bring forth proof!
Morgan Haverson
"I— I saw it! A smaller box, a wooden tray with raised sides — constructed to allow the easy picking of a single piece of parchment from the center of the larger strongbox!"
Dolsten
"I saw it too," the man adds. "Means to place one name in harm’s way… and then pick that name without anyone knowing the draw was not chance!"
It is then that Aldric announces his presence, and that Dufgal will bring forth proof!
Nov 19, 2024 4:22 am
AT THE REMAINS OF THE BOX IN THE MARKET SQUARE (DUFGAL)
Charred, peed-upon scraps of wood are scattered here and there across the platform where the lottery had been held, Dufgal sees as he runs up. Several of Pelagia’s converts have armed themselves with the largest pieces, and other angry townsfolk still prowl here and there, but Broegan Haverson still has command of the space, keeping some people from being destructive to no useful end, while sending others to bolster the mob now pounding on the great house doors above the town.
"Dufgal!" the owner of the Wolf-Spear says. "I see the church’s doors open! What goes on inside?!"
Charred, peed-upon scraps of wood are scattered here and there across the platform where the lottery had been held, Dufgal sees as he runs up. Several of Pelagia’s converts have armed themselves with the largest pieces, and other angry townsfolk still prowl here and there, but Broegan Haverson still has command of the space, keeping some people from being destructive to no useful end, while sending others to bolster the mob now pounding on the great house doors above the town.
Broegan Haverson
OOC:
We -definitely- described the destruction of the main box. Smashed, burned, whizzed on. I don’t see specific mention of what happened to the smaller box… so this seems like a perfect opportunity for a Luck roll from Dufgal! Pass and Broegan has it secured, anticipating this need. Fail and it was smashed and burned by Aldric’s flock.Nov 19, 2024 4:34 am
The big thief, startled by Broegan using his name, stutters in response,
"I… I’se… uh, not sure if I’se… well, uh, the Lady Anora has things under control."
As Dufgal gathers his wits, he takes his turn asking questions,
"Has you’se seen the small box that was right ‘ere inside this smashed bigun?"
"I… I’se… uh, not sure if I’se… well, uh, the Lady Anora has things under control."
As Dufgal gathers his wits, he takes his turn asking questions,
"Has you’se seen the small box that was right ‘ere inside this smashed bigun?"
Last edited November 19, 2024 4:40 am
Rolls
Luck check (currently 10) - (1d20)
(6) = 6
Broegan Haverson
Nov 19, 2024 5:32 am
Broegan Haverson
OOC:
Clear to grab it and go, and well done!Nov 19, 2024 7:53 am
"I’se guessin’ that priest is gonna need proof, so good thinking you. I’se gonna run it to her now."
Dufgal does grab the small box and runs surprisingly swiftly through the crowd and up to the front of the church. He holds the box aloft.
"Lady! Miss Anora Blue! ‘Ere’s that box they was using to trick the people."
Dufgal does grab the small box and runs surprisingly swiftly through the crowd and up to the front of the church. He holds the box aloft.
"Lady! Miss Anora Blue! ‘Ere’s that box they was using to trick the people."
Nov 20, 2024 10:31 am
Anora stands a few inches taller as dutiful Dufgal presents the box at the most opportune moment. How must it seem to the Hirotians? To have Anora orchestrating such a convincing show in their defense…
She motions for the man to present the box to the priest for inspection. Then she gathers herself up, like some blue queen of the browbeaten!
She motions for the man to present the box to the priest for inspection. Then she gathers herself up, like some blue queen of the browbeaten!
Nov 21, 2024 3:06 pm
Dufgal makes his way carefully through the thegns that stand in between him and the priest. He presents the box without a word as a way to emphasize Anora’s.
Nov 22, 2024 3:09 pm
IN THE CHURCH (ALL)
As Anora swells with purpose, and as Dufgal comes forward bearing the proof Haedrick seeks, the crowd falls to pointing and murmuring.
"That’s it!" someone says.
"Yes, I saw it," says another villager. "And in that box, a single slip! One the Jarl could find with his eyes closed!"
Confronted with this uncomfortable truth, one-eyed Ofenloch bares his teeth and shakes his head, furious at the deception. Haedrick only nods grimly, while Beacom’s expression is harder to read — for a moment.
Then the bald, elaborately robed man nods.
"I see. He has deceived us all along, since the very start of this lottery."
Then, suddenly, the man’s face goes red and he is spitting as he goes on — now shouting.
"This farce! Sylle Ru has poisoned his mind with his dark utterances. Jarl Griegor would never stoop to such treachery! The wizard must be brought to justice! He will burn this night — Justicia demands it!"
As Anora swells with purpose, and as Dufgal comes forward bearing the proof Haedrick seeks, the crowd falls to pointing and murmuring.
"That’s it!" someone says.
"Yes, I saw it," says another villager. "And in that box, a single slip! One the Jarl could find with his eyes closed!"
Confronted with this uncomfortable truth, one-eyed Ofenloch bares his teeth and shakes his head, furious at the deception. Haedrick only nods grimly, while Beacom’s expression is harder to read — for a moment.
Father Beacom
"I see. He has deceived us all along, since the very start of this lottery."
Then, suddenly, the man’s face goes red and he is spitting as he goes on — now shouting.
"This farce! Sylle Ru has poisoned his mind with his dark utterances. Jarl Griegor would never stoop to such treachery! The wizard must be brought to justice! He will burn this night — Justicia demands it!"
Kreig
Nov 22, 2024 3:12 pm
Kreig
Rolls
Secret Roll
Secret Roll
Nov 22, 2024 3:47 pm
Dufgal senses the tensions rise in the room. Just as soon as he hands over the box, he moves to Anora’s side. He puts his hands under his cloak and fingers his garrote.
Nov 22, 2024 8:14 pm
Uncomfortably, Tyravasiel-Llir clears his throat.
"Holy father, if I may..." the elf interjects. He stoops a little, as if embarrassed to speak before such a dignitary as Justicia's high priest.
"The beast remains at large, and night will come soon. The wise heads among us will need time to craft a new plan to preserve this--" do not say flyspeck-- "this village. Burning is all very well, but would it not also be justice--" Ty raises his voice, the better to be heard back in the throng-- "would it not be poetic justice, in fact, if whoever played a part in this terrible cheat--" Ty absolves no one yet, particularly the brooding and silent Kreig-- "could be sent to the sacrificial stones, in order to buy us that time?"
Beacom, Ofenloch and Haedrick seem to be on their side. How will Kreig react to this suggestion?
"Holy father, if I may..." the elf interjects. He stoops a little, as if embarrassed to speak before such a dignitary as Justicia's high priest.
"The beast remains at large, and night will come soon. The wise heads among us will need time to craft a new plan to preserve this--" do not say flyspeck-- "this village. Burning is all very well, but would it not also be justice--" Ty raises his voice, the better to be heard back in the throng-- "would it not be poetic justice, in fact, if whoever played a part in this terrible cheat--" Ty absolves no one yet, particularly the brooding and silent Kreig-- "could be sent to the sacrificial stones, in order to buy us that time?"
Beacom, Ofenloch and Haedrick seem to be on their side. How will Kreig react to this suggestion?
Nov 23, 2024 4:28 am
Cheers are raised when Ty voices that which everyone has been thinking. True justice being to feed Ru and the Jarl to the Hound as they had fed so many others. Haedrick is about to reply when Kreig steps forward, that massive axe still menacing.
"Yes," he growls.
"We start with the seer. He goes to the stones tonight!"
The priest nods slowly. "These crimes must be answered for. The innocents must be avenged. The scales have tipped!"
Then, from the back, Dolsten speaks up, misliking the attention it brings, but unwilling to stay quiet. "They are holed up now, in the great hall. Those doors are as though from a fortress. How will you pull Sylle Ru from that place?"
Kreig
"We start with the seer. He goes to the stones tonight!"
Father Beacom
Dolsten
Nov 23, 2024 11:13 am
Anora lets out a breath she only just now realized she had been holding as her great spell took hold over those in the church. She didn’t know if it would come to blows with loyal Krieg…
"The Jarl’s men must know of a secret entrance to the hold. An exit rather, for when the Jarl needs to make an escape…
He may be racing for it even now, if such a passage exists. We must head him off!"
"The Jarl’s men must know of a secret entrance to the hold. An exit rather, for when the Jarl needs to make an escape…
He may be racing for it even now, if such a passage exists. We must head him off!"
Nov 23, 2024 3:28 pm
With the waters calming, Aldric find himself adrift. Anora and Ty seem to have him wrapped around their fingers, and he doesn't want to prematurely change the direction of the tides. After all, he is sure that Beacom hates him and Pelagia, after all the darkness and defiling and curse words he said in front of his altar. Did he pee in the church? No, no, that was after.
Oh, and there was that artifact they stole. If that suddenly became known, it would put this union under heavy stress. Father Beacon hadn't noticed yet, but the cloth that hid the holy hammer head was surely flat now.
Hmm, if only Dufgal had more time he could have replaced it with something, to make it look like it was still there. After all, how often did Beacom lift that cloth?
Aldric finds himself quietly exiting the church, a new idea surfacing from the depths of his mind. He wades through the crowd and calls out "Potatoes! Bring me a handful of potatoes, and a kitchen knife."
Once a potato farmer, Aldric had made little carvings from the spuds to delight his family. Perhaps he could carve a false hammer head in several pieces. I didn't have to be perfect, just good enough to make the cloth that covers it to fall in a similar way.
Oh, and there was that artifact they stole. If that suddenly became known, it would put this union under heavy stress. Father Beacon hadn't noticed yet, but the cloth that hid the holy hammer head was surely flat now.
Hmm, if only Dufgal had more time he could have replaced it with something, to make it look like it was still there. After all, how often did Beacom lift that cloth?
Aldric finds himself quietly exiting the church, a new idea surfacing from the depths of his mind. He wades through the crowd and calls out "Potatoes! Bring me a handful of potatoes, and a kitchen knife."
Once a potato farmer, Aldric had made little carvings from the spuds to delight his family. Perhaps he could carve a false hammer head in several pieces. I didn't have to be perfect, just good enough to make the cloth that covers it to fall in a similar way.
Last edited November 23, 2024 3:29 pm
Nov 24, 2024 1:42 am
To Headwoman Anora's plan, Ty humbly adds, "If these doughty men were deceived--" he waves a hand vaguely in the direction of Kreig and his ilk-- "then perhaps the other thegns were as well. If we make plain the ruse, worthies, they may come over to our side. Sturdy gates now closed against us may be opened easily enough from the inside..."
Nov 24, 2024 2:23 am
OUTSIDE THE CHURCH (ALDRIC)
Outside the church, Aldric finds that a larger crowd is gathering. The afternoon is wearing on and more and more of the Hirotians are hearing about the events in the square. So when the priest's followers find him, it takes them not a few minutes to furnish the man with a knife and a basket of spuds.
"Witness Aldric! What would you have us do while you carry out Pelagia's potato carving will?!" one asks as room is made for the man to get to peeling.
"And why does she... want you to carve potatoes?!" another adds. "Should -- should we all be carving potatoes?!"
Outside the church, Aldric finds that a larger crowd is gathering. The afternoon is wearing on and more and more of the Hirotians are hearing about the events in the square. So when the priest's followers find him, it takes them not a few minutes to furnish the man with a knife and a basket of spuds.
"Witness Aldric! What would you have us do while you carry out Pelagia's potato carving will?!" one asks as room is made for the man to get to peeling.
"And why does she... want you to carve potatoes?!" another adds. "Should -- should we all be carving potatoes?!"
OOC:
Skill test to carve a reasonable facsimile! DC 5 to create a lump that will be... something. DC 10 to create something approproximately the right size and shape. Roll a d20 instead of a d10 because of your background, and add your AGI bonus!Nov 24, 2024 2:46 am
INSIDE THE CHURCH (ANORA, DUFGAL & TY)
The three thegns share a look when Anora declares that they must know of a secret entrance, then Haedrick speaks up when the woman mentions the Jarl making a run for it.
"That is unlikely, Lady Anora. Jarl Griegor feels safest in his hall when the Hound is about. Locked in his inner chamber."
When Ty speaks up, the bearded man nods at him.
"Aye. Orioc will listen to reason... and Haelf the halfwit will do what the old man says."
"Clohn won't, the bastard," Ofenloch growls. "He'll be a problem, Haedrick. you know he will."
Haedrick does not get to answer before Kreig speaks up.
"We should go there now," the tall warrior declares. Then he points at the disguised elf. "With this one as a prisoner, a hostage to keep the rest of the village at bay. They won't suspect a thing when we ask to be let in."
The three thegns share a look when Anora declares that they must know of a secret entrance, then Haedrick speaks up when the woman mentions the Jarl making a run for it.
Haedrick
When Ty speaks up, the bearded man nods at him.
"Aye. Orioc will listen to reason... and Haelf the halfwit will do what the old man says."
Ofenloch
Haedrick does not get to answer before Kreig speaks up.
Kreig
Nov 25, 2024 4:12 am
Anora is about to speak; about to suggest that she could ensnare this Clohn and set him aside. She stops up when the thegns furnish their own plan, and one that Anora is only half on board with!
"If you could quadruple your hostages, your Jarl would be doubly as happy, I’m sure!" Anora says, supposing that all four could serve as hostages and the Jarl would open the door all the quicker!
"If you could quadruple your hostages, your Jarl would be doubly as happy, I’m sure!" Anora says, supposing that all four could serve as hostages and the Jarl would open the door all the quicker!
Last edited November 25, 2024 7:18 am
Nov 25, 2024 5:50 am
Aldric was getting used to this deference these people were giving him and his opinions, but he really didn't have time to make much out of it. So, he spoke to them as he carved, really putting on the airs of a holy man
"Behold, I say unto you, there is no end to the oddities of this world. The mountains bow to the wind, and the rivers carve the stone, yet none ask the reason why. So too must you, O children of Hirot, carve your way, even as one carves a potato, shaping it not for the world’s approval, but for your own purposes.
For some will say, ‘Why carve the humble potato? It is but food and not art.’ And others will cry out, ‘Such effort is foolishness!’ But I say unto you, the world itself is a peculiar place, filled with vanity and whimsy, and you are free to add to it as you will.
Let not the judgments of men trouble you, nor their scorn. Whether your work be praised or forgotten, what matter is it? Go forth, and carve as your heart desires, for the earth is wide and time is short. Do what brings you joy, and trouble not your soul with the weight of their opinions."
He did not explain the potatoes he carved were for the larceny of Justica's hammer, but that was the whole point of the potatoes, after all - to hide their crime. He looked down to see how his carving was coming...
Well, it was better than nothing, he supposed.
"Behold, I say unto you, there is no end to the oddities of this world. The mountains bow to the wind, and the rivers carve the stone, yet none ask the reason why. So too must you, O children of Hirot, carve your way, even as one carves a potato, shaping it not for the world’s approval, but for your own purposes.
For some will say, ‘Why carve the humble potato? It is but food and not art.’ And others will cry out, ‘Such effort is foolishness!’ But I say unto you, the world itself is a peculiar place, filled with vanity and whimsy, and you are free to add to it as you will.
Let not the judgments of men trouble you, nor their scorn. Whether your work be praised or forgotten, what matter is it? Go forth, and carve as your heart desires, for the earth is wide and time is short. Do what brings you joy, and trouble not your soul with the weight of their opinions."
He did not explain the potatoes he carved were for the larceny of Justica's hammer, but that was the whole point of the potatoes, after all - to hide their crime. He looked down to see how his carving was coming...
Well, it was better than nothing, he supposed.
OOC:
Is this an ability check? if so it is -4 from the Bitch Queen's spanking. Looks like it'll be above 4 and below 10 either way! Last edited November 25, 2024 5:52 am
Rolls
🥔 🔪 - (1d20+0)
(9) = 9
Nov 26, 2024 2:53 am
Ty seems blissfully unaware that Kreig has singled him out to serve as a false hostage. He listens with a cocked head and a mild expression until Anora has offered her own suggestion.
"I mean no disrespect, masters," he says uneasily, "but the fur of our newborn alliance has not yet dried. What assurance have we that you will not simply betray us to the Jarl once we are within his walls?"
The elf stares straight at Kreig through his blindfold.
"Let one of your number surrender his arms to Broegan here--" Ty waves back at the throng, nowhere near where the burly innkeeper actually stands-- "and remain behind with the people, to pay the price for any treachery." He thinks a moment, then adds, "And to make us the more secure, let it be he who first proposed this scheme."
"I mean no disrespect, masters," he says uneasily, "but the fur of our newborn alliance has not yet dried. What assurance have we that you will not simply betray us to the Jarl once we are within his walls?"
The elf stares straight at Kreig through his blindfold.
"Let one of your number surrender his arms to Broegan here--" Ty waves back at the throng, nowhere near where the burly innkeeper actually stands-- "and remain behind with the people, to pay the price for any treachery." He thinks a moment, then adds, "And to make us the more secure, let it be he who first proposed this scheme."
Nov 26, 2024 6:13 am
INSIDE THE CHURCH (ANORA, DUFGAL & TY)
Inside Justicia's temple, plots and plans begin to come together.
Haedrick nods at Anora. "Possible. Though a larger number might make him -- or Ru -- more suspicious."
Kreig glares back at Ty when the elf looks at him and speaks of disrespect, alliances, assurances and betrayals. It's a lot of big words in a short amount of time from the tall stranger.
"Treachery?" Kreig says on the heels of that eloquent musing. He looks to the other thegns, then the priest, then to Anora... then back to Ty before he answers further.
"Why speak of treachery? We have common cause now, beggar. There is no need to divide our forces."
Father Beacom makes a frustrated noise in his throat, then gestures for the whole pile of people to leave.
"Leave the sanctity of this church now, my flock. Whatever you decide, whomever goes to the great hall -- do it soon! We have only a few hours of light, and many preparations to make."
Haedrick
Haedrick nods at Anora. "Possible. Though a larger number might make him -- or Ru -- more suspicious."
Kreig glares back at Ty when the elf looks at him and speaks of disrespect, alliances, assurances and betrayals. It's a lot of big words in a short amount of time from the tall stranger.
Kreig
"Why speak of treachery? We have common cause now, beggar. There is no need to divide our forces."
Father Beacom
"Leave the sanctity of this church now, my flock. Whatever you decide, whomever goes to the great hall -- do it soon! We have only a few hours of light, and many preparations to make."
Nov 26, 2024 6:41 am
OUTSIDE THE CHURCH (ALDRIC)
It doesn't take Pelagia's mouthpiece very long to carve what he carves, and while it does not look like the head of a legendary warhammer... it will lie under a piece of velvet cloth easily enough. Aldric's followers now have their own potatoes and are busily carving as he preaches -- well, except for the young, cow-eyed man who hasn't said two words to his prophet yet. He's taken several bites from his raw spud and is chewing mightily.
"Hey!" comes a voice, and when Aldric doesn't immediately hear it above the adulation of his entourage, it comes again -- louder.
"Hey! Alldick or whatever your name is, how are you with a needle n'thread?"
It's Wee Tocs, who the priest hasn't spoken privately with yet, and he his has a look of concern on his young face.
"Do you have poultries or salves or whatevers? Healing ungwonts? Your friend left my friend nears dead, Jenks just told me. An' someone clocked little Catkins pretty good too, I heared. Deserved it, I bet she did. Was that you?"
OOC:
This is technically a Skill Check... and I guess now matter how you slice it, Aldric is getting a DC 5 success which means he'll have something of approximately the right size, if not the right shape, carved from a few very big potatoes.[ +- ] Skill Checks
"Hey!" comes a voice, and when Aldric doesn't immediately hear it above the adulation of his entourage, it comes again -- louder.
Wee Tocs
It's Wee Tocs, who the priest hasn't spoken privately with yet, and he his has a look of concern on his young face.
"Do you have poultries or salves or whatevers? Healing ungwonts? Your friend left my friend nears dead, Jenks just told me. An' someone clocked little Catkins pretty good too, I heared. Deserved it, I bet she did. Was that you?"
Nov 26, 2024 7:13 am
Anora lets the various arguments fall quiet, and then bows her head ever so slightly to the priest. He had done well… in the end.
"Whatever we do, it’s clear that we must make for the great hall now. The way forward may present itself to us once we are in front of those gates!" she says, sure that some chaos would both help and hinder their efforts.
She wonders if she ought to send Aldric to fetch the witch, so that she might turn herself to this task also..
"Whatever we do, it’s clear that we must make for the great hall now. The way forward may present itself to us once we are in front of those gates!" she says, sure that some chaos would both help and hinder their efforts.
She wonders if she ought to send Aldric to fetch the witch, so that she might turn herself to this task also..
Nov 26, 2024 7:32 am
Dufgal hears Anora’s resolve to march on the Jarl’s compound, so he readies himself to take up her flank. He keeps at least one eye on Krieg though. That thug seemed not to be entirely swayed by this rebellion.
Nov 27, 2024 6:30 am
"Alldick!" he starts snorting and laughing. Ah, this town was a pile of shit, and it had taken from him more than it gave, but that was a good one.
"Look, kid - what's your name? I'm terrible with a needle and thread, and poultices are not in my wheelhouse. But, I am a Witness of the Goddess Pelagia, and through me, the miracles of her healing doth flow. I am busy dealing with a situation of sorts in the church, so you'd better bring him over here if you want me to help him."
"Look, kid - what's your name? I'm terrible with a needle and thread, and poultices are not in my wheelhouse. But, I am a Witness of the Goddess Pelagia, and through me, the miracles of her healing doth flow. I am busy dealing with a situation of sorts in the church, so you'd better bring him over here if you want me to help him."
Last edited November 27, 2024 6:30 am
Nov 27, 2024 11:19 am
Leaving Deacom to his temple, Anora says with a wary tone to both Dufgal and Ty:
"And where is our own priest?" for she had been too busy to hear much of his carry on.
"I thought he had written his name to an oath to accompany me on my travels. He hasn’t set foot beside me for more than a moment in almost a day*!"
"And where is our own priest?" for she had been too busy to hear much of his carry on.
"I thought he had written his name to an oath to accompany me on my travels. He hasn’t set foot beside me for more than a moment in almost a day*!"
OOC:
* The exact quantity of time can not be recalled exactly. Last edited November 27, 2024 11:20 am
Nov 28, 2024 12:07 am
"Do you lack attendants, Headwoman?" Ty drawls. Anora has the better part of a village at her back; what is one Pelagian priest more or less? "The holy father must be near at hand. Was he not just preaching to the converted about--" Well. What a repressive and murderous goddess Beacom's Justicia is. And something about taking a hammer? Better, perhaps, not to revisit the details of Aldric's sermon. "--about the Pelagian faith?" Or so Tyravasiel-Llir supposes. Everything he knows about the humans' ocean deity has tumbled from Aldric's lips.
The elf leans in a little closer. "We should be careful of the thegns," he murmurs. "It is not yet an hour since that one--" Ty twitches his chin in Kreig's direction, "was chasing our priest with his axe. They may try to give us over to the Jarl, trusting that when these dirty humans are deprived of their new leaders, they will sink back into obedience. It's what I would do, in their place."
The elf leans in a little closer. "We should be careful of the thegns," he murmurs. "It is not yet an hour since that one--" Ty twitches his chin in Kreig's direction, "was chasing our priest with his axe. They may try to give us over to the Jarl, trusting that when these dirty humans are deprived of their new leaders, they will sink back into obedience. It's what I would do, in their place."
Last edited November 28, 2024 12:08 am
Nov 28, 2024 9:48 am
Anora nods enough for the elven-eyed to perceive. Were she a more chaotic force in the world, she would simply throw the man to the wolves… or hounds… and be done with it. At present, she was surrounded by plenty who would do it quite happily, and so her soul could remain untarnished by the act!
"Did the witch bid our priest to return later for his prize? It may be time for her to come good on that account!" Anora replies to the elf, trusting that he knew she had taken his council to heart, and didn’t want to risk tarrying on it for too long!
"Did the witch bid our priest to return later for his prize? It may be time for her to come good on that account!" Anora replies to the elf, trusting that he knew she had taken his council to heart, and didn’t want to risk tarrying on it for too long!
Wee Tocs
Nov 29, 2024 7:12 am
OUTSIDE THE CHURCH (ALDRIC)
"Wee Tocs," the guttersnipe says to Aldric, his voice surprisingly deep for boy his age and size. He seems uncertain for a moment about the idea of bringing his friend to the priest, but eventually shrugs.
"I'll tell Master Jenks and see how he feels about that."
And with that, the boy turns and goes, at speed.
Wee Tocs
"I'll tell Master Jenks and see how he feels about that."
And with that, the boy turns and goes, at speed.
Nov 29, 2024 7:14 am
OOC:
Anora, Ty, Dufgal -- you're free to continue your conversation and take it outside, where you will see Aldric and his little flock. The thegns will be coming along behind you; Father Beacom will not.Nov 29, 2024 9:57 am
Not wanting the thegns behind him, but also not wanting them in between him and Anora, Dufgal’s eyes dart between them. He lingers looking at Anora for a hint of a clue. Should he trust these thugs who could still be in the Jarl’s pocket? He thinks not, but who does he trust anyway? He aims to show his readiness to follow her lead.
Nov 29, 2024 4:42 pm
Ty glances at Kreig through his blindfold. The other warriors seem sincere in their outrage, but it isn't clear where precisely Kreig's evident wrath is directed. Is he angry a the Jarl and Sylle Ru for their deception, or at Ty and his motley crew for exposing it? If Kreig isn't on their side, then this plan to go as prisoners before the Jarl could be disastrous.
But with Anora, Dufgal, and Aldric beside him-- and presuming the other thegns don't falter-- the odds should still be in their favor. Just not as much as the elf would like.
He lifts a shoulder, then turns ponderously and totters on his cane back out of the church. "Where is Aldric the Pelagian?" Ty demands loudly, knowing perfectly well where the man is and making a beeline for him. "Good news, worthy father! We are to be carried as pretended captives before the Jarl by these burly fellows behind us. When Griegor opens his gates to receive us, we shall appeal to the thegns within, then bring the lord and his sorcerer before the people's justice."
Ideally.
But with Anora, Dufgal, and Aldric beside him-- and presuming the other thegns don't falter-- the odds should still be in their favor. Just not as much as the elf would like.
He lifts a shoulder, then turns ponderously and totters on his cane back out of the church. "Where is Aldric the Pelagian?" Ty demands loudly, knowing perfectly well where the man is and making a beeline for him. "Good news, worthy father! We are to be carried as pretended captives before the Jarl by these burly fellows behind us. When Griegor opens his gates to receive us, we shall appeal to the thegns within, then bring the lord and his sorcerer before the people's justice."
Ideally.
Nov 30, 2024 10:10 pm
Aldric rises, potatoes in hand. "That sounds like a terrible plan. I'm in."
Seeing that Father Beacom has not left his post, he sees no opportunity to replace the missing warhammer with his carefully-crafted spud replica. Well, fuck. He hands the potatoes to his followers, wondering if they could do the job for him. But, he didn't trust them. Anyone stupid enough to willingly follow Pelagia was not the person he wanted for this job. Instead, he bids them to boil the potato sculpture in a stew. Once they are done, he strongly suggests they should come check on him at the Jarl's, and make sure all is well. "I'll set this business with the lottery straight, Pelagia as my witness!"
He also feels no great urgency to wait for Wee Tocs, who has already departed. The children of Hirot had thus far turned out to be quite the little shits, and he had important business to attend to. "The boy called me Alldick, can you believe it?" he says to the group as he follows them, fighting against the invisible currents. "Alldick!"
Seeing that Father Beacom has not left his post, he sees no opportunity to replace the missing warhammer with his carefully-crafted spud replica. Well, fuck. He hands the potatoes to his followers, wondering if they could do the job for him. But, he didn't trust them. Anyone stupid enough to willingly follow Pelagia was not the person he wanted for this job. Instead, he bids them to boil the potato sculpture in a stew. Once they are done, he strongly suggests they should come check on him at the Jarl's, and make sure all is well. "I'll set this business with the lottery straight, Pelagia as my witness!"
He also feels no great urgency to wait for Wee Tocs, who has already departed. The children of Hirot had thus far turned out to be quite the little shits, and he had important business to attend to. "The boy called me Alldick, can you believe it?" he says to the group as he follows them, fighting against the invisible currents. "Alldick!"
Last edited November 30, 2024 10:11 pm
Dec 1, 2024 5:49 am
OOC:
We'll let KCC weigh in here since he's been busy, but it sounds like the whole crew is planning to head up to the great house where the Jarl has locked himself in... and roger that, Aldric, not waiting to see if they bring the injured ruffian to the market.Dec 1, 2024 7:17 am
Anora let the others worry about security. For now, she needed to seem like she was in control. Whatever would happen next, it must be as if Anora the Blue had willed it so. And if it was not willed by her, it should at least have been expected by her.
She was loathe to lose the overwhelming force that was the citizenry of Hirot. The Thegn were fighting men, but not her fighting men!
No. She didn’t much fancy the idea of being separated from the flock, especially at the suggestion of an unknown quantity like this man…
Some other plan would have to come to the fore between here and the great gate.
She was loathe to lose the overwhelming force that was the citizenry of Hirot. The Thegn were fighting men, but not her fighting men!
No. She didn’t much fancy the idea of being separated from the flock, especially at the suggestion of an unknown quantity like this man…
Some other plan would have to come to the fore between here and the great gate.
Dec 3, 2024 7:01 am
HIROT (ALL)
By the time Master Jenks and Wee Tocs carry their bleeding, unconscious companion to the edge of the market, they are already too late. There's too much commotion in the center of the town, and the four strangers are engaged in some new folly -- leading three of the Jarl's thegns and a long tail of outraged villagers up the elevated road towards the Jarl's great house.
"Is theys goin' to turn theyselves in?" Catkins asks, holding the side of her oar-bruised head with one hand. "Or is it a trick?! The Pisser -- he's a tricky one!"
Tocs answers, but we do not hear his undoubtedly snide reply over the din in the village.
Walking alongside Ty and Anora, Morgan glances back at the three thegns -- they are playing along so far -- and the pack of angry townsfolk behind them.
"So what is the plan?" she asks urgently when they have climbed a quarter of the way to the great house. Rounding that first switchback, she adds, "We don't want townsfolk with us if we're pretending to be captives of these three behind us, do we?"
Catkins
"Is theys goin' to turn theyselves in?" Catkins asks, holding the side of her oar-bruised head with one hand. "Or is it a trick?! The Pisser -- he's a tricky one!"
Tocs answers, but we do not hear his undoubtedly snide reply over the din in the village.
Morgan Haverson
"So what is the plan?" she asks urgently when they have climbed a quarter of the way to the great house. Rounding that first switchback, she adds, "We don't want townsfolk with us if we're pretending to be captives of these three behind us, do we?"
OOC:
Feel free to plan IC or OOC, here or in the Discord, but what's the plan / overall approach here?Dec 4, 2024 11:55 am
"The plan shall present itself when we reach the gateway!" Anora said, trying to sound sure!
"I’m not so sure we want to lose our number advantage!" she warns the others!
"We just need to avoid bloodshed in those opening moments! If we can only speak to the thegns inside and show them how much of the village is aligned against those two…"
"I’m not so sure we want to lose our number advantage!" she warns the others!
"We just need to avoid bloodshed in those opening moments! If we can only speak to the thegns inside and show them how much of the village is aligned against those two…"
Dec 4, 2024 8:15 pm
Ty glances up the causeway to the Jarl's gate, where a separate group of irate villagers has already gathered.
"It's, ah, hard to make out," he adds, addressing Morgan, "but I believe I hear more of your townsfolk congregated up the way. We'll have no good means of dispersing them, buxom lady, even if we so wished."
"It's, ah, hard to make out," he adds, addressing Morgan, "but I believe I hear more of your townsfolk congregated up the way. We'll have no good means of dispersing them, buxom lady, even if we so wished."
Dec 4, 2024 8:46 pm
Leading the way, Anora sweeps up the rising road to the great hall like she is in the vanguard of some great cavalry charge — and it is no wonder, with now almost three dozen people at her back. Red-faced Morgan’s concerns are answered by Ty, and then flung to the side in favor of urgency and the wizardess’s desire to use the mob at hand. At the top, they find another score villagers pounding on the door, rattling heavily shuttered windows, and shouting.
The calls are forceful, and come one after the other from a variety of angry voices.
"Come out, Jarl, you bastard! Show yourself!"
"Open the door! Answer for your crimes!"
"Explain the box, warlock! The lottery was a sham, you picked who you wanted to die!"
Those men turn and gape when the elaborately-haired, blue-garbed sorceress climbs the last of the muddy earthen causeway, leading her fellows, a trio of thegns and a gaggle of Hirotians forward. Those already present at the hall are armed as many of the irate villagers are, mostly with staves and clubs and a whole collection of felling, splitting and broad axes. They grip them tightly as they try to understand what this unruly host’s arrival means.
"The Jarl and his cunts are shut up tight!" a burly, bearded man missing a front tooth bellows. Pointing with a mattock at Ofenloch, Haedrick, and Kreig, he asks, "What’s about them? Why ain’t they in stocks or irons?!"
The calls are forceful, and come one after the other from a variety of angry voices.
"Come out, Jarl, you bastard! Show yourself!"
"Open the door! Answer for your crimes!"
"Explain the box, warlock! The lottery was a sham, you picked who you wanted to die!"
Those men turn and gape when the elaborately-haired, blue-garbed sorceress climbs the last of the muddy earthen causeway, leading her fellows, a trio of thegns and a gaggle of Hirotians forward. Those already present at the hall are armed as many of the irate villagers are, mostly with staves and clubs and a whole collection of felling, splitting and broad axes. They grip them tightly as they try to understand what this unruly host’s arrival means.
"The Jarl and his cunts are shut up tight!" a burly, bearded man missing a front tooth bellows. Pointing with a mattock at Ofenloch, Haedrick, and Kreig, he asks, "What’s about them? Why ain’t they in stocks or irons?!"
Dec 5, 2024 2:29 am
Aldric enjoys the sea of villagers sweeping to the Jarl's stronghold.
He takes the man by the shoulder, pulling him to his brackish, moist embrace, and speaks to him like a man he's known since childhood.
"Your anger is warranted, my friend! That one was a cunt hair's width away from splitting my skull with his big, dumb axe!"
"But now, hear my words: It is not our past transgressions that define us, but our present embrace of the righteous mission! The ocean does not ask where the water has been but welcomes every stream, every drop, into its expanse."
"But if he even smells like he's going to stab us in the back, we'll fucking gut him. Bwahaha!"
It is Aldric's goal to wield his bawdy humour in service of keeping this motley mob together, so that they present a stronger front to pressure the Jarl into cooperation or submission.
Quote:
"The Jarl and his cunts are shut up tight!" a burly, bearded man missing a front tooth bellows. Pointing with a mattock at Ofenloch, Haedrick, and Kreig, he asks, "What’s about them? Why ain’t they in stocks or irons?!""Your anger is warranted, my friend! That one was a cunt hair's width away from splitting my skull with his big, dumb axe!"
"But now, hear my words: It is not our past transgressions that define us, but our present embrace of the righteous mission! The ocean does not ask where the water has been but welcomes every stream, every drop, into its expanse."
"But if he even smells like he's going to stab us in the back, we'll fucking gut him. Bwahaha!"
It is Aldric's goal to wield his bawdy humour in service of keeping this motley mob together, so that they present a stronger front to pressure the Jarl into cooperation or submission.
Last edited December 5, 2024 2:37 am
Dec 5, 2024 12:08 pm
Anora opens her mouth to speak, when Aldric takes the opportunity to give a sermon instead!
When the man is finished, she nods. He would be a powerful man, if he had only pledged his service to one less fickle.
"We mean to come inside!" Anora calls above the din, meaning to address the armed men inside! She left it vague on who exactly ‘we’ meant.
"We have the Church Father, the Jarl’s armed men and all of Hirot at our backs! And we have indisputable proof of the fiction Sylle Ru has weaved here in the village!"
When the man is finished, she nods. He would be a powerful man, if he had only pledged his service to one less fickle.
"We mean to come inside!" Anora calls above the din, meaning to address the armed men inside! She left it vague on who exactly ‘we’ meant.
"We have the Church Father, the Jarl’s armed men and all of Hirot at our backs! And we have indisputable proof of the fiction Sylle Ru has weaved here in the village!"
Dec 5, 2024 4:39 pm
OOC:
Randomizer Roll!Rolls
Randomizer Result - (1d3)
(2) = 2
Second Randomizer Result - (1d2)
(1) = 1
Dec 5, 2024 5:23 pm
Seeing so many of their fellow townsfolk already under Anora’s sway, and with Aldric’s bolstering banter, it takes not a moment for the besieging Hirotians to join up with the newly arrived throng of outraged villagers. They now number more then forty, not including the strangers and the thegns!
As Anora marches forward towards the heavy, sealed doors of the great hall, cheers go up and weapons are raised. Aldric, though, feels something in the air. Like the ocean has drawn back from the beach, leaving fish flopping and a greasy black muck that will claim all who are fool enough to walk in it. It is like his goddess has drawn a breath and is holding it.
Tyravasiel-Llir senses something as well. As pleased as the Three Fates were regarding the exposing of the sham lottery, they have fallen quiet now, waiting to see the outcome of that revelation. By all accounts a chaos beast is still loose and will still claim innocents in the night. The Sisters may have more yet they ask of the wayward elf… the slaying of the Hound itself! Lest Ty’s pursuers suddenly find his trail is straighter and shorter than they knew. The sky is clouding as the day wears on; are those three faces the fae-born sees above the great house? Faces fair beyond comprehension on the left, and in the middle. And a crag-faced crone with a peering, piercing eye on the right.
For his part, Dufgal goes along with the crowd, silent and wary in his way. All three thegns have weapons drawn — a ward to keep excitable rioters at bay, surely, but perhaps to use against those within the hall, if necessary?
Anora’s calls towards the Jarl’s domicile eventually result in the opening of a small sliding door above and to the right of the main entrance, those heavy, iron-reinforced double doors that stand firmly shut. A man’s face appears in the small window — or rather most of it.
"What do you want? Go away!" Haelf Halfson says curtly, his bright eyes wide and fearful.
Ty sees something in those green eyes, something familiar. Somewhere in this man’s lineage there is faeblood.
As Anora marches forward towards the heavy, sealed doors of the great hall, cheers go up and weapons are raised. Aldric, though, feels something in the air. Like the ocean has drawn back from the beach, leaving fish flopping and a greasy black muck that will claim all who are fool enough to walk in it. It is like his goddess has drawn a breath and is holding it.
Tyravasiel-Llir senses something as well. As pleased as the Three Fates were regarding the exposing of the sham lottery, they have fallen quiet now, waiting to see the outcome of that revelation. By all accounts a chaos beast is still loose and will still claim innocents in the night. The Sisters may have more yet they ask of the wayward elf… the slaying of the Hound itself! Lest Ty’s pursuers suddenly find his trail is straighter and shorter than they knew. The sky is clouding as the day wears on; are those three faces the fae-born sees above the great house? Faces fair beyond comprehension on the left, and in the middle. And a crag-faced crone with a peering, piercing eye on the right.
For his part, Dufgal goes along with the crowd, silent and wary in his way. All three thegns have weapons drawn — a ward to keep excitable rioters at bay, surely, but perhaps to use against those within the hall, if necessary?
Anora’s calls towards the Jarl’s domicile eventually result in the opening of a small sliding door above and to the right of the main entrance, those heavy, iron-reinforced double doors that stand firmly shut. A man’s face appears in the small window — or rather most of it.
Haelf Halfson
Ty sees something in those green eyes, something familiar. Somewhere in this man’s lineage there is faeblood.
OOC:
Alright, your move! And not meaning to inject too drama with the bits regarding Pelagia, the Three Fates, and even Haelf’s eyes. Just a bit of color for our story you can use as you see fit.Dec 5, 2024 6:09 pm
Dufgal scans the face of the keep and tries to find the point of easiest ascent. Just in case. He figures that, at minimum, he may need to open the gates from within. All of his other attention is on the thegns, watching for any sign that they might betray their hidden agenda.
Dec 6, 2024 4:25 am
Bent-backed, Ty hobbles and taps his way forward until he's placed himself between Anora and that face by the door.
"We shall not go!" he wails. "For a dire crime has been committed against the folk of this village, and it must be answered. Hirot herself now stands at your gate, in the person of her chosen emissary, Anora the Blue!"
The elf bows down until the broad brim of his hat all but scrapes the mud. He raises his free hand, arm extended, and points back at the magnificently coiffed sorceress as if his were the very finger of destiny.
"Listen now to the voice of your people! The voice of justice, and of truth!"
No pressure!
"We shall not go!" he wails. "For a dire crime has been committed against the folk of this village, and it must be answered. Hirot herself now stands at your gate, in the person of her chosen emissary, Anora the Blue!"
The elf bows down until the broad brim of his hat all but scrapes the mud. He raises his free hand, arm extended, and points back at the magnificently coiffed sorceress as if his were the very finger of destiny.
"Listen now to the voice of your people! The voice of justice, and of truth!"
No pressure!
Dec 7, 2024 1:49 am
Anora waits an appropriate amount of time before speaking up:
"This is not some rabble intent on butchery. It is a gathering of souls seeking justice. You see the Jarl’s men at our backs. They listened to our words, and saw the truth of the choosing box!
We went first to Justicia’s holy place, and so convinced the thegn’s and Justicia’s own servant. They live, and breathe, and share our greatest fears. Yet, they shared those fears before we unveiled the conspiracy of the lottery. I am certain that you within share this very same suspicions…"
"This is not some rabble intent on butchery. It is a gathering of souls seeking justice. You see the Jarl’s men at our backs. They listened to our words, and saw the truth of the choosing box!
We went first to Justicia’s holy place, and so convinced the thegn’s and Justicia’s own servant. They live, and breathe, and share our greatest fears. Yet, they shared those fears before we unveiled the conspiracy of the lottery. I am certain that you within share this very same suspicions…"
Dec 7, 2024 6:08 pm
Aldric smacks some noisy bastard on the back of his head and signals to everyone around to be quiet and listen to Anora the Blue as she levies her accusations. Normally, Aldric likes to be the centre of attention, but he's happy for Anora to take the lead on this, and with it the risk!
Dec 8, 2024 1:49 am
Haelf Halfson
Before anyone can answer, another small, high-mounted door slides open -- this one on the other side of the barred doors. Another face appears in that space. An uglier, meaner face: Clohn's.
Clohn the Bald
The bald man's eyes then narrow. "Or has she ensorcelled you!? Have you been bewitched, enthralled by that woman's conniving tongue?!"
A pause, the intake of many breaths all around Anora. "Or has she done this to the entire village, bedeviled you all?!"
OOC:
Say your piece, and then we'll be rolling towards some opposed PER checks!Dec 8, 2024 3:44 am
The burly thief positions himself for a backstab on the nearest thegn while maintaining a hopeful look at Anora as if to say, "You’se got this, Lady"
Dec 8, 2024 10:39 am
"Orioc!" Anora calls above the accusation.
"Orioc, come forth! I suspect you know the truth of this, too! I would not bandy words with a man who sees devilry everywhere but at his own back.
Were I powerful enough to ensorcel this village, I would simply swat you aside like some common swamp-stinger!
Praise Justicia and all the rest that I still rely on words and reason!"
"Orioc, come forth! I suspect you know the truth of this, too! I would not bandy words with a man who sees devilry everywhere but at his own back.
Were I powerful enough to ensorcel this village, I would simply swat you aside like some common swamp-stinger!
Praise Justicia and all the rest that I still rely on words and reason!"
Rolls
Per! - (1d20+1)
(2) + 1 = 3
Dec 8, 2024 4:00 pm
Still stooped in his attendant's posture, Tyravasiel-Llir follows the exchange with mild but mounting alarm. It seems to him that perhaps some important details of the Jarl's ruse have been left out, or steered around. It sounds like the bald one is no friend of theirs, and the other-- who must be 'Haelf the Halfwit'-- may not have the brain for an involved tale. But as Anora has implied by her summons, there are more crucial ears within the Jarl's hall. Ears that may be near enough to hear.
"Indeed, my lady!" Ty supplies, loudly enough to be heard through the keep's door and peep-holes. "Tell him about the secret tray within the lottery box. The tray where one chosen name among so many was placed, to be plucked out-- seemingly at random, but in truth, by design! The secret tray that we have found out, and now hold as proof of treachery against the people. Whoever placed that device within the lockbox has been marking out men and women of Hirot for their deaths!"
"Indeed, my lady!" Ty supplies, loudly enough to be heard through the keep's door and peep-holes. "Tell him about the secret tray within the lottery box. The tray where one chosen name among so many was placed, to be plucked out-- seemingly at random, but in truth, by design! The secret tray that we have found out, and now hold as proof of treachery against the people. Whoever placed that device within the lockbox has been marking out men and women of Hirot for their deaths!"
Dec 9, 2024 6:43 am
OOC:
The crowd is pretty angry with the Jarl at this stage, so Clohn will only roll a d16 for his PER check. Anora will enjoy a +1d and should roll a d24 because of her mentions of Orioc and Justicia, and Ty's explanation on what's transpired.There's little chance you'll "lose" the whole crowd in a span of seconds, but if you lose the opposed PER check some bad things *will* happen...
Rolls
Clohn's PER Check - (1d16)
(9) = 9
Dec 9, 2024 9:28 am
OOC:
A generous GM! A good GM!OOC:
+1 is 23!Last edited December 9, 2024 9:28 am
Rolls
1d24
(22) = 22
Dec 10, 2024 6:11 am
There is sudden shouting from all sides as nearly everyone present seems determined to make their voice heard, to have a say. The thegns inside the hall, the thegns that have joined with Anora and her entourage. The villagers, Morgan with a raised fist, and fierce little Catkins, who has somehow joined the group. (She grins brightly at Aldric if he notices her.)
All of the din ceases when the sound of a heavy draw-bar being removed is followed by the clacking of bolts being undone... and then the two doors leading into the great hall open creakingly inward.
Mailed Orioc stands inside, a glower on his face. He is the oldest of the thegns, but still a man not to trifle with on a battle field. His cloak might be frayed, his beard gray... but he is a presence in the lamp-lit gloom inside the hall.
"We feared as much," he says simply, before taking a step to stand aside, revealing a passageway that seems to strike straight into the middle of the hall.
All of the din ceases when the sound of a heavy draw-bar being removed is followed by the clacking of bolts being undone... and then the two doors leading into the great hall open creakingly inward.
Orioc
"We feared as much," he says simply, before taking a step to stand aside, revealing a passageway that seems to strike straight into the middle of the hall.
OOC:
Nice roll. KCC. I shall remember this moment.Dec 10, 2024 6:39 am
"We mean to have the people wait out the night inside." she says to Orioc, bowing slightly in thanks for the man’s opening of the door!
"I fear that certain names have been drawn to satiate the beast for the night!" she says, as if the Jarl and his man being fed to the beast were an unfortunate inevitability!
"Gather yourselves! Let us summon the Jarl before us and see what he has to say! He and his pet magician! Arms ready, but do not strike just yet!"
Anora doubts, but does wonder, if the wizard had put a spell on the Jarl!
"I fear that certain names have been drawn to satiate the beast for the night!" she says, as if the Jarl and his man being fed to the beast were an unfortunate inevitability!
"Gather yourselves! Let us summon the Jarl before us and see what he has to say! He and his pet magician! Arms ready, but do not strike just yet!"
Anora doubts, but does wonder, if the wizard had put a spell on the Jarl!
Dec 11, 2024 3:35 am
"Onward!" Ty loudly concurs. He too steps aside, opposite Orioc's position. The elf bows and sweeps an arm toward the revealed passage, as if to usher Anora and her subjects into the Jarl's keep.
As for himself, however, Tyravasiel will wait in that majordomo's posture until anyone who wishes to enter has filed past. He means to have a look about Griegor's hall for any rarities that might be on offer. The tumult of the coming confrontation should offer him an opportunity to peruse-- and, perhaps, to collect some due payment for all his efforts on Hirot's behalf.
As for himself, however, Tyravasiel will wait in that majordomo's posture until anyone who wishes to enter has filed past. He means to have a look about Griegor's hall for any rarities that might be on offer. The tumult of the coming confrontation should offer him an opportunity to peruse-- and, perhaps, to collect some due payment for all his efforts on Hirot's behalf.
Last edited December 11, 2024 3:36 am
Dec 11, 2024 8:05 am
Anora steps beneath the gateway, feeling the weight of her longsword pressed against her hip and beneath her robe.
She hoped that, if sense could not win the day, the job might fall to numbers. Failing that again, she would draw the steel and take her chances in the Jarl’s den.
She hoped that, if sense could not win the day, the job might fall to numbers. Failing that again, she would draw the steel and take her chances in the Jarl’s den.
Last edited December 11, 2024 8:05 am
Dec 11, 2024 3:54 pm
Aldric similarly strides forward, doing his best to herd the masses forward. "The die has been cast!" he calls out to nobody in particular. "Onward for justice! Onward for redemption!"
Dec 12, 2024 6:06 pm
Dutifully, Dufgal takes a position near enough to Anora to provide protection, but far enough away that he has the widest vantage for seeing anything out of place.
Dec 13, 2024 6:38 am
Behind Anora, the quartet advances into the Jarl's gloomy, cold hall. Torches gutter as a silence, a dread of sorts, seems to permeate the place. Haelf and Clohn appear from the wings, on either side of the tramping party. Orioc merely nods at the mention of villagers holing up for the night in the place, and then behind come Kreig, Ofenloch, and Haedrick. Suddenly confident villagers, too, file into the hall, and Ty does spot a few things of interest as he evaluates his surroundings.
Shields and wall-hangings line the grey-raftered, rough-hewn passageway that leads deeper into the building. Pelts and animals heads line those walls -- rabbits and deer, elk and wolves... even a bear. There are wooden carvings and decorations, spears and axes; the place is unkind and ungentle down to its floorboards... but it is highly defensible.
Anora, Aldric and Dufgal are greeted with a grisly sight as they enter Griegor's great hall proper, a room fit to hold feasts and weddings, where ten tables could be assembled. Slumped on his high seat near the low-burning hearth, the Jarl glowers at the mage and her companions as they enter. At his feet, the headless body of Sylle Ru drizzlies and spurts lifeblood all over the floor. The Seer's lopped-off head has rolled beneath one of the feasting tables, and the man's blood drips from the sword that is still in the Jarl's hand.
His eyes are empty, staring.
Shields and wall-hangings line the grey-raftered, rough-hewn passageway that leads deeper into the building. Pelts and animals heads line those walls -- rabbits and deer, elk and wolves... even a bear. There are wooden carvings and decorations, spears and axes; the place is unkind and ungentle down to its floorboards... but it is highly defensible.
Jarl Griegor
His eyes are empty, staring.
Dec 13, 2024 10:35 am
Anora feels some very base level of pity for the slain Sylle Ru in that moment. Long had her kind been put to death by dull men with sharp swords.
The pity did not pass across her face. He was her adversary from the start after all… And if the Jarl thought he had cut his way out of the noose Anora had prepared for him, he was mistaken. If he thought to take a second wizard’s head in a single day, he was also mistaken.
She lets the full throng of Hirot gather up around and behind her, before she speaks:
"Does Jarl Griegor presume to have accomplished something by cutting the head off of his pet magician? A moment before the man could be made to speak…"
The pity did not pass across her face. He was her adversary from the start after all… And if the Jarl thought he had cut his way out of the noose Anora had prepared for him, he was mistaken. If he thought to take a second wizard’s head in a single day, he was also mistaken.
She lets the full throng of Hirot gather up around and behind her, before she speaks:
"Does Jarl Griegor presume to have accomplished something by cutting the head off of his pet magician? A moment before the man could be made to speak…"
Dec 13, 2024 3:08 pm
Trailing the mob, Ty toddles aimlessly from wall to wall. Here he peeks behind a tapestry; there he molests an owl carved from wood, feeling for gemstones in the eyes or precious metal in the talons.
Does the King of the Flies truly rule over such rustic poverty? Where are his riches? Where is all the stamped metal that the humans hoard like manic ravens? As he goes, the elf casts about for chambers or side passages where Jarl Griegor might have secreted finer stuff than the parts of dead animals-- which, admittedly, seem to be particular favorites with him.
Does the King of the Flies truly rule over such rustic poverty? Where are his riches? Where is all the stamped metal that the humans hoard like manic ravens? As he goes, the elf casts about for chambers or side passages where Jarl Griegor might have secreted finer stuff than the parts of dead animals-- which, admittedly, seem to be particular favorites with him.
Dec 14, 2024 4:11 pm
OOC:
While we allow time for Aldric to chime in (no pressure, Len, just allowing you to 'place' him in the scene if nothing else), let's see Luck Checks (hit your hit or lower on a d20) from both Ty and Dufgal, please.Dec 14, 2024 4:47 pm
In the very deepest part of his mind, Dufgal has a sense of remembering this very moment as if it had happened before. Except the time he was recalling was a moment when he had been called by his father to attend to the cleanup after a long three-day feast. He was shocked by the quality of the feces. These people must eat very well, he remembers thinking, but it doesn’t keep them from stinking all the same.
And here he was in a great hall of the jarl where no one cleans their own shit. And here, the same feeling arose in him that the loftiest of man is still not separate from the lowliest when it comes to his bunghole.
Dufgal couldn’t tell if the feeling was one of longing or relief, compassion or contempt. Either way, the tension in the room was thick, like morning fog in autumn.
And here he was in a great hall of the jarl where no one cleans their own shit. And here, the same feeling arose in him that the loftiest of man is still not separate from the lowliest when it comes to his bunghole.
Dufgal couldn’t tell if the feeling was one of longing or relief, compassion or contempt. Either way, the tension in the room was thick, like morning fog in autumn.
Rolls
Dufgal: Luck vs current 10 - (1d20)
(17) = 17
Dec 14, 2024 5:48 pm
Aldric enters the hall, his armour's squelching and squeaking made worse by the incessant moisture that his skin has seen fit to ooze since he earned The Bitch Queen's displeasure.
"Move aside!" he shouts, forcing his way to the front to stand beside Anora. Wielding his oar, he prods the crowd into motion, ensuring they scatter quickly unless they wish to feel the sting of wood on their backsides. As the crowd parts, his eyes fall on the Jarl's bloodied sword and the headless magician, and a flicker of both surprise and relief crosses his face. At last, a path forward seems clear. Leaning toward the others, he murmurs:
"We have driven this wretched beast into a corner, yet he hath fashioned for himself a path of escape. Should we seal it shut with accusations, he shall rise up like a ravening wolf, desperate and unyielding. But if we grant him this passage, we may yet spare these floorboards from being drenched in more blood, especially our blood."
"Move aside!" he shouts, forcing his way to the front to stand beside Anora. Wielding his oar, he prods the crowd into motion, ensuring they scatter quickly unless they wish to feel the sting of wood on their backsides. As the crowd parts, his eyes fall on the Jarl's bloodied sword and the headless magician, and a flicker of both surprise and relief crosses his face. At last, a path forward seems clear. Leaning toward the others, he murmurs:
"We have driven this wretched beast into a corner, yet he hath fashioned for himself a path of escape. Should we seal it shut with accusations, he shall rise up like a ravening wolf, desperate and unyielding. But if we grant him this passage, we may yet spare these floorboards from being drenched in more blood, especially our blood."
Dec 15, 2024 6:11 am
IN THE GREAT HALL (ALL)
Far in the west, in cursed Hirot, a pale and cold sun sinks in a leaden sky. The afternoon ended, it is time for her people to stoke hearths and light cookfires, to close their shops and round up their animals. To shutter their homes and bolt their doors against the Demon Hound that haunts the night if no sacrifice is made.
But instead of making these grim preparations, the townsfolk are out and about, incensed by what they have learned. Infuriated by the news that the Jarl and his seer have rigged a lottery that has seen dozens of their friends and family members offered up to the monster. And so, led by the brave and outspoken strangers who came to town just the night before, they descend on Jarl Griegor's great hall -- on the veritable fortress that the man has kept all but his closest allies locked out of. Those doors have been thrown open by the Jarl's own Thegns, and now the people of Hirot flood inside.
Inside the largest room in the building, the high-raftered hall where feasts, games, weddings and more are held, Anora the Blue waits for an answer as more and more villagers find their way in. Broegan and Dolsten, Master Jenks and Wee Tocs, Lloré and many others the adventurers recognize but cannot name arrive. Notably absent are Ymae the witch and Beacom the priest -- is it perhaps just a matter of time before they too arrive?
Sylle Ru's eyes are glassy and staring in his severed head as his killer struggles to his feet, using a jewel-hilted two-handed sword as a cane or crutch of sorts. Jarl Griegor's girth is prodigious -- it impedes his movement. He half-drags one foot as he walks; it leaves a wet smear of pus and blood on the floor, signs of the gout that has nearly crippled him. Still, the man is a head taller than most in his hall, and no one doubts he can fell a man with a single blow from that wet blade... the very same that lopped Ru's head from his shoulders moments ago.
"I did only what I should have months ago," Griegor says as Aldric mutters lowly to his friends. "Sylle Ru told me to let the gods choose who dies. Let the fates decide, he said. Now it is all too clear what the man was doing. He struck some foul bargain with that beast... he... betrayed my trust... all of our trust. I should never have listened to that black-tongued serpent!"
In the room, the crowd shifts, mutters, even growls -- unhappy with the Jarl's response. Those paying attention will note that there is both anger and apprehension in the room, and that the Jarl is not alone. Three of his Thegns have pressed forward to confront him... the others stand to one side, eying all the armed guards from the biers and south gate that are now making their way into the hall. And behind the chieftain, another half-dozen men linger in the shadows. They are not heavily armed and armored as the Thegns are, but they are rough-looking, long-faced and clearly wary of the developing situation.
"Iraco and the rest of the Jarl's hunters," Morgan says quietly to Anora, barely audible under the noise in the room, where near a hundred people must now be gathered.
The girl's jaw has a set -- she is clearly unhappy with the village headman, and her fists are clenched.
Then, as shouting is heard back towards the still-open entrance to the great hall, Clohn bellows to try and quiet the crowd.
"Hail the Jarl for finding out and slaying this villain!" he thunders, and before a response can even form in the crowd, he's pointing with his bared axe at Anora and Aldric.
"And where is Utherl? He was told to ring the church bell!"
"He fell afoul of this one," Kreig says, stabbing at Dufgal with his eyes, and with no small snarl and sneer.
"Nearly strangled to death. Utherl lies in Justicia's arms now, in her shrine. Only she knows if he will recover."
Far in the west, in cursed Hirot, a pale and cold sun sinks in a leaden sky. The afternoon ended, it is time for her people to stoke hearths and light cookfires, to close their shops and round up their animals. To shutter their homes and bolt their doors against the Demon Hound that haunts the night if no sacrifice is made.
But instead of making these grim preparations, the townsfolk are out and about, incensed by what they have learned. Infuriated by the news that the Jarl and his seer have rigged a lottery that has seen dozens of their friends and family members offered up to the monster. And so, led by the brave and outspoken strangers who came to town just the night before, they descend on Jarl Griegor's great hall -- on the veritable fortress that the man has kept all but his closest allies locked out of. Those doors have been thrown open by the Jarl's own Thegns, and now the people of Hirot flood inside.
Inside the largest room in the building, the high-raftered hall where feasts, games, weddings and more are held, Anora the Blue waits for an answer as more and more villagers find their way in. Broegan and Dolsten, Master Jenks and Wee Tocs, Lloré and many others the adventurers recognize but cannot name arrive. Notably absent are Ymae the witch and Beacom the priest -- is it perhaps just a matter of time before they too arrive?
Sylle Ru's eyes are glassy and staring in his severed head as his killer struggles to his feet, using a jewel-hilted two-handed sword as a cane or crutch of sorts. Jarl Griegor's girth is prodigious -- it impedes his movement. He half-drags one foot as he walks; it leaves a wet smear of pus and blood on the floor, signs of the gout that has nearly crippled him. Still, the man is a head taller than most in his hall, and no one doubts he can fell a man with a single blow from that wet blade... the very same that lopped Ru's head from his shoulders moments ago.
Jarl Griegor
In the room, the crowd shifts, mutters, even growls -- unhappy with the Jarl's response. Those paying attention will note that there is both anger and apprehension in the room, and that the Jarl is not alone. Three of his Thegns have pressed forward to confront him... the others stand to one side, eying all the armed guards from the biers and south gate that are now making their way into the hall. And behind the chieftain, another half-dozen men linger in the shadows. They are not heavily armed and armored as the Thegns are, but they are rough-looking, long-faced and clearly wary of the developing situation.
Morgan Haverson
The girl's jaw has a set -- she is clearly unhappy with the village headman, and her fists are clenched.
Clohn the Bald
"Hail the Jarl for finding out and slaying this villain!" he thunders, and before a response can even form in the crowd, he's pointing with his bared axe at Anora and Aldric.
"And where is Utherl? He was told to ring the church bell!"
Kreig
"Nearly strangled to death. Utherl lies in Justicia's arms now, in her shrine. Only she knows if he will recover."
OOC:
Short follow-on posts coming. Reasons for Luck rolls will be revealed shortly.
Catkins
Dec 15, 2024 6:17 am
Catkins
Then there's a tug at Aldric's side. "Hallos again!" Catkins says beneath the chaos with those buggy eyes and too-wide smile. Just how many teeth does this child have?
"Sorrys for the nibble. I was supposed to distract you, keeps you from buttin' in."
Dec 15, 2024 6:34 am
Moments before, swept along in a tide of people, Ty found himself disappointed by the things he found within easy reach in the entry and main passageway. Now though, in the main hall as it's all unfolding, he spies more interesting things through his blindfold
The Tables each have candle holders of bronze and wolf-head tankards of pewter or some other grey metal. Hanging on the back wall are great pelts, cloaks with elaborate family pins of silver and gold. Several tables have delicately woven baskets that are intertwined with copper wire... and in those baskets are gaming pieces, tokens and baubles. They are mostly semi-precious and ornamental stones -- agates, malachites, bloodstones, onyx, more than a few pieces of uncut quartz.
No bulging chest of coins is on display. Perhaps somewhere else in the hall? Either way, the Jarl's sword looks valuable, and several bear and wolf hides on the walls and floor have value. A number of casks are present, likely full of mead, and the Jarl's own table has a beautiful drinking horn chased with silver and perhaps even platinum... next to a low-walled basket containing far rarer and more precious stones.
The Tables each have candle holders of bronze and wolf-head tankards of pewter or some other grey metal. Hanging on the back wall are great pelts, cloaks with elaborate family pins of silver and gold. Several tables have delicately woven baskets that are intertwined with copper wire... and in those baskets are gaming pieces, tokens and baubles. They are mostly semi-precious and ornamental stones -- agates, malachites, bloodstones, onyx, more than a few pieces of uncut quartz.
No bulging chest of coins is on display. Perhaps somewhere else in the hall? Either way, the Jarl's sword looks valuable, and several bear and wolf hides on the walls and floor have value. A number of casks are present, likely full of mead, and the Jarl's own table has a beautiful drinking horn chased with silver and perhaps even platinum... next to a low-walled basket containing far rarer and more precious stones.
OOC:
Okay. Free to post!Dec 15, 2024 8:12 am
Certainly wanting the ire of the crowd and the thegns to remain elsewhere than hisself, Dufgal makes a bold choice. He dashes forward, faster than his appearance warns, and kicks the head of Sylle Ru towards the angriest bulk of the crowd. "Has yer way with him. Take yer pound o’ flesh!"
OOC:
Burning Luck to succeedLast edited December 15, 2024 4:39 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Personality - (1d12+0)
(8) = 8
Dufgal: Luck Die - (1d3)
(3) = 3
Dec 15, 2024 3:51 pm
OOC:
Throw a PER Skill Check please, Dufgal, for trying to rile (influence) the crowd. I think given your profession and general murdering, thieving ways you are -not- trained at this. So start with a d10, then take +1d for the town's vitriol towards Ru. Your die is a d12 + PER, the DC is 10!Dec 16, 2024 11:54 am
"A weary soul isn’t payment enough for the crime laid before you! Sylle Ru offered it up, but you enacted it. The beggar’s shame at being caught does little to pay for the loaf of bread once eaten…
No. The cosmic order demands greater recompense than that! I offer it up to you. You must enact it!" Anora says, hoping that the Jarl and his strong men will offer themselves up to fight the beast for a night; whether driven by ego, shame or pride, it mattered not!
No. The cosmic order demands greater recompense than that! I offer it up to you. You must enact it!" Anora says, hoping that the Jarl and his strong men will offer themselves up to fight the beast for a night; whether driven by ego, shame or pride, it mattered not!
Dec 17, 2024 12:48 am
Aldric contemplates his flock’s eagerness to "fall" upon the Jarl, but he suspects they’d only get themselves killed. And then what? He wasn’t opposed to putting their fervour to good use, of course, but he needed to think it through carefully, find their best use.
When Catkins returns, Aldric startles slightly, instinctively bringing his oar around and making a warding sign with his hands. That crazy girl and her unsettling, toothy grin were disconcerting on a good day and outright terrifying the rest of the time. Still, as she speaks, he regains his composure. Her intentions, at least for the moment, seem not immediately bent on murder or dismemberment—probably.
Addressing the wild child, he raises his now-healed four-fingered hand, a testament to the miraculous power of Pelagia. "A minor setback, child. You have the teeth of a shark, I’ll give you that. But you’re not stopping me from meddling anymore. What’s changed?"
Regardless of her response, he presses on with an offer. "You know, sharks are beloved by Pelagia. Someone with teeth like that—and the attitude to match—could go far in her service."
Aldric shushes Catkins as Anora boldly demands more of the Jarl. After, Aldric is inspired to push further. "Never hurt to ask" was a thing people said, but they didn't usually involve asking a man dripping with blood after having just decapitated a sorcerer of some power. Nonetheless, the time for timidness had long past.
"Men may be helpful, as we dispatch the creature, yes. And even more crucial is to pledge tribute to my Goddess, Pelagia. You can bank on the fact that she alone among the heavens hates this beast, this hound of Shul's, and it would be a wise investment to pay her tribute before we depart. It is only through Pelagia's will that we will get this task done."
When Catkins returns, Aldric startles slightly, instinctively bringing his oar around and making a warding sign with his hands. That crazy girl and her unsettling, toothy grin were disconcerting on a good day and outright terrifying the rest of the time. Still, as she speaks, he regains his composure. Her intentions, at least for the moment, seem not immediately bent on murder or dismemberment—probably.
Addressing the wild child, he raises his now-healed four-fingered hand, a testament to the miraculous power of Pelagia. "A minor setback, child. You have the teeth of a shark, I’ll give you that. But you’re not stopping me from meddling anymore. What’s changed?"
Regardless of her response, he presses on with an offer. "You know, sharks are beloved by Pelagia. Someone with teeth like that—and the attitude to match—could go far in her service."
Aldric shushes Catkins as Anora boldly demands more of the Jarl. After, Aldric is inspired to push further. "Never hurt to ask" was a thing people said, but they didn't usually involve asking a man dripping with blood after having just decapitated a sorcerer of some power. Nonetheless, the time for timidness had long past.
"Men may be helpful, as we dispatch the creature, yes. And even more crucial is to pledge tribute to my Goddess, Pelagia. You can bank on the fact that she alone among the heavens hates this beast, this hound of Shul's, and it would be a wise investment to pay her tribute before we depart. It is only through Pelagia's will that we will get this task done."
Last edited December 17, 2024 12:49 am
Dec 17, 2024 6:38 am
Anora hides her displeasure as Aldric makes his plea for Pelagian converts. She had just been concocting a way to bring Justicia and her domain to the fore of the conversation…
Dec 19, 2024 2:38 am
Tyravasiel follows the mob into the Jarl's great hall. He meanders between the irate villagers, surveying the walls and tables for any hint of rare treasure.
It isn't long before disappointment, even distaste, contorts his lips below the ratty blindfold he wears. The elfin lady who pursues him would scarcely consider her honor redeemed by the tribute of a barbarian king's drinking horn. Perhaps if there were some story attached to it, but what tale could Jarl Griegor possibly tell that would not be sordid and grasping, as human tales tend to be?
Even the lord's basket of jewels wouldn't be likely to buy the flower lady's peace, supposing Ty could come at it.
The elf heaves a little sigh. He will have to wait and watch for finer fare to present itself.
It isn't long before disappointment, even distaste, contorts his lips below the ratty blindfold he wears. The elfin lady who pursues him would scarcely consider her honor redeemed by the tribute of a barbarian king's drinking horn. Perhaps if there were some story attached to it, but what tale could Jarl Griegor possibly tell that would not be sordid and grasping, as human tales tend to be?
Even the lord's basket of jewels wouldn't be likely to buy the flower lady's peace, supposing Ty could come at it.
The elf heaves a little sigh. He will have to wait and watch for finer fare to present itself.
Last edited December 19, 2024 2:39 am
Jarl Griegor
Dec 19, 2024 5:04 am
There are several gasps in the crowd when Dufgal crassly boots Sylle Ru's head, sending it spinning across the floor. It bounces and rolls -- until someone in that mob stamps hard on the seer's wispy grey hair. The big thief looks on, disappointed for a moment that no one else will follow his brutal lead, but he smiles as Anora speaks with the Jarl of restitution and some sort of universal balance -- and as that head is indeed kicked... and kicked again.
Some Hirotians are appalled at the behavior, but more than enough seem keen to make sport of keeping the advisor's head and dripping neck-stump from settling. Aldric makes his play as that kicking fades to the background, continuing into other parts of the hall. Jarl Griegor looks on in disgust as young men push and shove to determine who will get the next kick, but it is when his eyes settle on the drowned cleric that they narrow and he speaks again.
"Pelagia," he says hoarsely, before hacching loudly, drawing up a goodly among of phlegm from his throat. He spits a slimy wad onto the floor to show what he thinks of the idea of succumbing to the goddess's will. "That bitch cares nothing for his place, or these people. No god does! Men make their own stories and fates, priest. Men alone!"
Jarl Griegor
"Pelagia," he says hoarsely, before hacching loudly, drawing up a goodly among of phlegm from his throat. He spits a slimy wad onto the floor to show what he thinks of the idea of succumbing to the goddess's will. "That bitch cares nothing for his place, or these people. No god does! Men make their own stories and fates, priest. Men alone!"
Dec 19, 2024 9:52 am
"And what story will the men of this hall write for themselves?" Anora calls out, intent on not letting the Jarl wiggle out of cosmic justice.
Dec 21, 2024 4:57 am
"Whatever tale these men write, Anora, they'll want that bitch at their back. The Bitch."
Aldric steps forward, the oar in his hand scraping against the flagstones like a warning growl. He did not like the way the Jarl dismissed Pelagia one bit, and his ire grown into a raging tempest in his heart. He leans into its weight, his body a crooked defiance, and his voice cuts through the hall like a blade.
"You're right, Jarl Gregior. Pelagia has no love for Hirot. She doesn’t covet your throne, your barmaids, or your rituals. She doesn’t care how you grovel, posture, or pray, or piss."
His tone shifts, sharp and scathing, as he slams the oar’s end against the stone.
"But let me make one thing crystal clear for every soul in this hall. What does the Bitch Queen want? Pelagia. Fucking. Hates. This. Hound."
He spits the words like venom, his eyes scanning the room with wild fervour.
"She wants it destroyed. Erased. Because it reeks of the curse'd moon, the vile spawn of Shul. That beast that tore through your kin—and it’s that fucker's handiwork. And while Pelagia may not give two shits for your lives, she burns to defile him, to rip Shul from his silvery throne and shove his glowing arrogance up his gods-damned lunar ass!"
The vulgarity rolls out like a storm tide, crashing against the stunned silence of the hall.
"Look at me, Jarl."
Aldric’s voice drops, hoarse and ragged, and he shifts to let his frailty show: the broken priest leaning heavily on his oar, his missing finger stark against his glistening, water-worn skin.
"I tried to warn this town, to make Hirot heed her will. But I failed. And Pelagia does not forgive failure. Look at what she’s done to me—these curses, these afflictions—they are her judgment. Why? Because..."
He straightens with sudden, burning purpose, his voice swelling to fill every corner of the hall.
"BECAUSE THE BITCH QUEEN WANTS THIS HOUND DEAD!"
His words roll like thunder over the assembly. Then he leans forward, his eyes blazing with zeal.
"And her price must be paid. Eighty-eight gold coins, Jarl. One for each of the constellations that guide her mariners across the endless waves. And, she demands stalwart men-at-arms! Angry, vengeful men who have lost their loved ones to its jaws, that hate the Hound as much as Pelagia. Blood and gold, to show her that this town is serious about killing this Hound once and for all! That is what she demands of Hirot."
He pauses, letting his final words settle like an anchor dropped into the depths.
"Do this, and you may yet win her favour. Refuse... and may the gods have mercy on your souls. Because the Hound will not."
Aldric steps forward, the oar in his hand scraping against the flagstones like a warning growl. He did not like the way the Jarl dismissed Pelagia one bit, and his ire grown into a raging tempest in his heart. He leans into its weight, his body a crooked defiance, and his voice cuts through the hall like a blade.
"You're right, Jarl Gregior. Pelagia has no love for Hirot. She doesn’t covet your throne, your barmaids, or your rituals. She doesn’t care how you grovel, posture, or pray, or piss."
His tone shifts, sharp and scathing, as he slams the oar’s end against the stone.
"But let me make one thing crystal clear for every soul in this hall. What does the Bitch Queen want? Pelagia. Fucking. Hates. This. Hound."
He spits the words like venom, his eyes scanning the room with wild fervour.
"She wants it destroyed. Erased. Because it reeks of the curse'd moon, the vile spawn of Shul. That beast that tore through your kin—and it’s that fucker's handiwork. And while Pelagia may not give two shits for your lives, she burns to defile him, to rip Shul from his silvery throne and shove his glowing arrogance up his gods-damned lunar ass!"
The vulgarity rolls out like a storm tide, crashing against the stunned silence of the hall.
"Look at me, Jarl."
Aldric’s voice drops, hoarse and ragged, and he shifts to let his frailty show: the broken priest leaning heavily on his oar, his missing finger stark against his glistening, water-worn skin.
"I tried to warn this town, to make Hirot heed her will. But I failed. And Pelagia does not forgive failure. Look at what she’s done to me—these curses, these afflictions—they are her judgment. Why? Because..."
He straightens with sudden, burning purpose, his voice swelling to fill every corner of the hall.
"BECAUSE THE BITCH QUEEN WANTS THIS HOUND DEAD!"
His words roll like thunder over the assembly. Then he leans forward, his eyes blazing with zeal.
"And her price must be paid. Eighty-eight gold coins, Jarl. One for each of the constellations that guide her mariners across the endless waves. And, she demands stalwart men-at-arms! Angry, vengeful men who have lost their loved ones to its jaws, that hate the Hound as much as Pelagia. Blood and gold, to show her that this town is serious about killing this Hound once and for all! That is what she demands of Hirot."
He pauses, letting his final words settle like an anchor dropped into the depths.
"Do this, and you may yet win her favour. Refuse... and may the gods have mercy on your souls. Because the Hound will not."
Dec 21, 2024 7:02 am
OOC:
The Jarl is not an easy mark, but this was an amazing speech! Make a PER check, Aldric, vs. DC 15. Enjoy a +1d on your die, making it a d24. Also, reduce your Disapproval by 1.Dec 21, 2024 7:17 am
OOC:
Welp, here goes nothing. With the -4 bitch queen spanking cancelling my -1 PER mod, that'll be a total of -3 on the roll. 1d24, around 40% chance of success ... here goes.Rolls
C'mon Pelagia, I'm dying here!! - (1d24-3)
(9) - 3 = 6
Dec 21, 2024 2:51 pm
Ty narrows his hidden eyes at the Jarl. He shares Anora's suspicion that Griegor did not take revenge upon Sylle Ru, but rather silenced the wizard so that Ru couldn't speak of Griegor's own complicity in the lottery scheme. After all, the Jarl's twisted 'Fate' sent Morgan Haverson to the sacrificial stones, and it was Griegor whose advances that comely flyspeck rejected. Not Sylle Ru's.
Still, the game now seems to be that they will enlist Griegor's aid against the hound. Tyravasiel shoots a glance toward Morgan, then her relatives Broegan and Dolsten, to gauge their reactions to this congealing alliance. They may serve as a sort of bellwether for the wronged folk of Hirot.
Still, the game now seems to be that they will enlist Griegor's aid against the hound. Tyravasiel shoots a glance toward Morgan, then her relatives Broegan and Dolsten, to gauge their reactions to this congealing alliance. They may serve as a sort of bellwether for the wronged folk of Hirot.
Dec 22, 2024 8:13 pm
OOC:
Still a fail, but wouldn't Aldric be adding his PER to this roll (+1), then including the -2 from his updated Disapproval? Perhaps landing him on an 8.Jarl Griegor
But Jarl Griegor's reaction is not what anyone expects. He listens, grim-faced and intently to the drowned priest as he goes on -- and on -- glaring and brooding, mentally chewing on what he is hearing. The broad-shouldered, big-bellied man smiles when there is mention of coins -- golden ones, no less, and eighty eight of them.
"A tidy sum for a beggar priest," the Jarl growls hoarsely, his voice like two huge pieces of cold iron being ground together. There's something wet in his lungs; the man isn't well. That's proven again as he limps towards Aldric, leaving his pusblood stains on the floor. "Is that it? You've arranged all this," he gestures, "to ask me for eighty eight gold coins?!"
The room is silent now... the Jarl has the floor.
"You're a fool. Shul holds no sway here. The Hound did not pounce forth from some crevice on the moon! It's a demon, you halfwit! A beast sewn together by the strands of pure chaos! My ancestors fought such things, but they were young and hale, and had many wolf spears with them! This one has arisen -- we do not know why. But let there be no doubt: you are far from your sea, from the influence of Pelagia."
Somewhere, Aldric hears a quiet voice during all this at his side.
Catkins
The distraction is short-lived, as Morgan steps to the fore, more willing it seems to confront the thickly bearded chieftain than her father, Dolsten, or anyone else.
Morgan Haverson
Saying this, the brunette has moved into the central part of the hall, alone, to stand between the two sides, and in front of the towering Jarl. "You're saying your advisor steered you to a course of murder, and you didn't see it?"
Murmurs and quietly uttered concerns circulate about the room as the Jarl considers the slight girl in front of him and his already bloodied sword. The commotion in the passage that leads back outside increased; those standing near the back can hear that Father Beacom is coming, and that his own voice is raised and urgent.
Jarl Griegor
"Are you calling your Jarl a murderer, you lice-ridden whore?"
His eyes narrow. "Return to your father's, Morgan Haverson. Hope there that the Hound does not find you. That Beacom's laments about sins drawing the Beast are untrue."
Morgan stands defiantly, but also trembles slightly as the sword comes up to rest on Griegor's shoulder. She is ready to bolt, just as he looks ready to strike.
"My Thegns," the big man says instead of lopping off the girl's head, "It sounds as though a hunt for the Hound is forming, to be led by this water-logged priest here. Which of you will join him?"
For a beat, none move a muscle nor utter a word, so then the Jarl continues. "Kreig, Clohn, Haelf, remain with me. Guard the hall. You others ... Ofenloch, Haedrick, Orioc -- join this ambitious hunt. Slay the unslayable if you can."
Then, turning to look at Aldric and Anora, the burly man with the bad leg points at them with his blade. "Know that fighting the Hound of Hirot angers it. Makes it wild for blood. Fail at this and the people of this town will suffer for it. I will see any such debts repaid, be sure of that."
Wordlessly, Kreig, Clohn and Haelf fall in at the Jarl's sides, exchanging glances with one another.
Dec 23, 2024 12:13 pm
Anora sneers as the Jarl makes commands of her and her troupe.
"If the beast was drawn to sin, it would find its way into this hall before all others in Hirot."
Doubly so is she irritated at the threat he levels at them if they were to cause the village any harm.
"You’ll repay any suffering brought to Hirot?" she scoffs. "And you the chief designer of the people’s misery! Slink back into your shadows, squelching, sickly lord!
If we succeed, let none of the glory be yours. If we fail, be grateful that you’ll be the hound’s last victim, when you should have been its first." she says, letting her scoff turn to a laugh.
"If the beast was drawn to sin, it would find its way into this hall before all others in Hirot."
Doubly so is she irritated at the threat he levels at them if they were to cause the village any harm.
"You’ll repay any suffering brought to Hirot?" she scoffs. "And you the chief designer of the people’s misery! Slink back into your shadows, squelching, sickly lord!
If we succeed, let none of the glory be yours. If we fail, be grateful that you’ll be the hound’s last victim, when you should have been its first." she says, letting her scoff turn to a laugh.
Dec 23, 2024 8:41 pm
Aldric's hands clench the oar so tight it bends, ignoring Catkins' confession. Instead, he is incensed by the nerve of this royal cunt! Should he remain silent, this struggle of wills could extinguish his credibility with the townsfolk, undermine his ability to recruit new followers.
"If the Jarl is too miserly to pay the symbolic price to prove Hirot is worthy of Pelagia's mercy, it will fall upon the townsolk, who have already shouldered the entire burden of this disaster."
Aldric will instruct his new followers to obtain the wealth needed for the 88 gold price, although more is certainly acceptable. He will also explain that where the coins come from or how they obtain them is not an issue, only that the fee is paid by sundown. He will also instruct them to spread word of the Jarl's miserly behaviour, and to refer to the campaign as "The Jarl's Generosity Fund."
"If the Jarl is too miserly to pay the symbolic price to prove Hirot is worthy of Pelagia's mercy, it will fall upon the townsolk, who have already shouldered the entire burden of this disaster."
Aldric will instruct his new followers to obtain the wealth needed for the 88 gold price, although more is certainly acceptable. He will also explain that where the coins come from or how they obtain them is not an issue, only that the fee is paid by sundown. He will also instruct them to spread word of the Jarl's miserly behaviour, and to refer to the campaign as "The Jarl's Generosity Fund."
Dec 24, 2024 1:01 am
Anora's words rile up the crowd again, and there's a moment when weapon hafts and grips are grasped tightly, and when it seems like half the village will descend screaming on the Jarl, his three Thegns and his hunters. Their numbers would surely see them victorious, but the price would be dear, of that the blue sorceress had little doubt.
When Aldric adds his piece, fueling the fire, the Jarl roars and swings his sword whistling about his head, making the advancing mob hesitate.
"Fucking feeble-minded -- YOU WILL FIND NO GOLD IN THIS TOWN, YOU SEA-ADDLED FUCK! These people trade in chickens, in nails, in beer, in rabbits taken from the wood!" Spit flies from the Jarl's mouth as he bellows, and his face reddens. He has had very nearly enough.
"Begone from my hall. All of you! Those who live through this hunt, through the night -- my doors will be open to you. But not so long as you have thrown in with these quacksalvers!"
Bows creak behind the Jarl's seat; Kreig and Halfson and Clohn stand ready with their bared steel.
Orioc comes forward then, the Thegn who once spoke something resembling sense to the strangers. The man has a calmness that steadies the room. His hand is on his sword, but the weapon is not drawn as he comes before his leader.
"A word, Jarl, as the hall clears." Turning to Anora and Aldric, he raises a bushy eyebrow, showing that he expects they will cooperate.
Griegor seethes, but gestures for the man to go on once his followers find their way out.
Jarl Griegor
"Fucking feeble-minded -- YOU WILL FIND NO GOLD IN THIS TOWN, YOU SEA-ADDLED FUCK! These people trade in chickens, in nails, in beer, in rabbits taken from the wood!" Spit flies from the Jarl's mouth as he bellows, and his face reddens. He has had very nearly enough.
"Begone from my hall. All of you! Those who live through this hunt, through the night -- my doors will be open to you. But not so long as you have thrown in with these quacksalvers!"
Bows creak behind the Jarl's seat; Kreig and Halfson and Clohn stand ready with their bared steel.
Orioc
"A word, Jarl, as the hall clears." Turning to Anora and Aldric, he raises a bushy eyebrow, showing that he expects they will cooperate.
Griegor seethes, but gestures for the man to go on once his followers find their way out.
OOC:
Press harder (for coin, for his help, etc.) and you risk bloodshed. It's not a sure thing -- there would be rolls! But you can also beat a path back to see what Orioc has planned, or try whatever else you want!Rolls
Secret Roll
Dec 24, 2024 7:29 am
The man who has always felt off center finds himself in the middle of a tension that can only be resolved by ridding this town of the hound. He finds his resolve and swears to bring the head of the warhammer down on its skull, even if it costs him his life. What was his life worth anyway? It seems already forfeit in his home village. Even if the barmaid was there waiting for him, his happiness would not be safe. And here in Hirot, what has he done? He has made enemies of the thegns and the riffraff alike. And the priest of Justicia once the truth of his theft is revealed. However, all of this may be forgiven if he is the one who brings an end to this torment. Yes, let them all talk. But he will take action. When the time is right. He will act.
Dufgal’s daydream lasted only a few seconds, as he found himself on another hero fantasy like he often did as a boy. One time, he found a way to convince the mayor’s daughter to marry him and he became the head of Garion’s Folly. He renamed it of course. Dufgal’s Glory. And he lived happily ever after. That was a favorite daydream that he would visit often and add chapters.
He snaps to attention when the jarl’s sword whistles overhead. Dufgal looks back and forth between Anora and Aldric, wondering if they realized that they were working out their divergent ambitions at the most inopportune moment. He contemplated how it might play out if he was made to choose sides. Aldric had been good to him, but clearly for his own gain. Anora had seemed to appreciate his abilities, but still consider him expendable. Ty, the first elf Dufgal had ever seen, at least had been completely transparent in his disdain for humans in general. It wasn’t even personal to Dufgal. That brought him a strange comfort, actually. What an odd crew that was assembled. Certainly none would have predicted heroism. Well, perhaps his daydream was prophetic. Maybe he would have to find it within himself. And maybe he would.
Dufgal’s daydream lasted only a few seconds, as he found himself on another hero fantasy like he often did as a boy. One time, he found a way to convince the mayor’s daughter to marry him and he became the head of Garion’s Folly. He renamed it of course. Dufgal’s Glory. And he lived happily ever after. That was a favorite daydream that he would visit often and add chapters.
He snaps to attention when the jarl’s sword whistles overhead. Dufgal looks back and forth between Anora and Aldric, wondering if they realized that they were working out their divergent ambitions at the most inopportune moment. He contemplated how it might play out if he was made to choose sides. Aldric had been good to him, but clearly for his own gain. Anora had seemed to appreciate his abilities, but still consider him expendable. Ty, the first elf Dufgal had ever seen, at least had been completely transparent in his disdain for humans in general. It wasn’t even personal to Dufgal. That brought him a strange comfort, actually. What an odd crew that was assembled. Certainly none would have predicted heroism. Well, perhaps his daydream was prophetic. Maybe he would have to find it within himself. And maybe he would.
Dec 24, 2024 3:44 pm
Fortunately, most of Tyravasiel-Llir's mounting dismay is hidden by his blindfold.
What does he care for the Pelagian's eighty-eight gold coins? Of what concern is it to him whether the unwashed masses of Hirot find shelter with their new Headwoman, or perish in the night beneath the hound's slavering jaws? Rich or poor, win or lose, all of these mayflies will be gone in the blink of Tyravasiel's pure green eye. And he will still have the Dread Lady to contend with.
The one thing approaching a treasure that Ty has found in Hirot is Morgan Haverson herself. And she now stands exposed to the bows of the Jarl's hunters.
As the standoff hangs suspended, the blind beggar ambles up and gently takes the barmaid by the elbow. "You have said bravely, madam," he assures her in an undertone meant for her ears alone. "Now there are weapons raised. Leave the rest to us."
Or rather, to Dufgal and Aldric and the loyal thegns. For Ty himself will guide Morgan off of the ledge she's placed herself upon between the contending camps. He means to lead her behind at least a few of the townsfolk, so that they'll bear the brunt of any arrows shot her way.
What does he care for the Pelagian's eighty-eight gold coins? Of what concern is it to him whether the unwashed masses of Hirot find shelter with their new Headwoman, or perish in the night beneath the hound's slavering jaws? Rich or poor, win or lose, all of these mayflies will be gone in the blink of Tyravasiel's pure green eye. And he will still have the Dread Lady to contend with.
The one thing approaching a treasure that Ty has found in Hirot is Morgan Haverson herself. And she now stands exposed to the bows of the Jarl's hunters.
As the standoff hangs suspended, the blind beggar ambles up and gently takes the barmaid by the elbow. "You have said bravely, madam," he assures her in an undertone meant for her ears alone. "Now there are weapons raised. Leave the rest to us."
Or rather, to Dufgal and Aldric and the loyal thegns. For Ty himself will guide Morgan off of the ledge she's placed herself upon between the contending camps. He means to lead her behind at least a few of the townsfolk, so that they'll bear the brunt of any arrows shot her way.
Dec 24, 2024 4:01 pm
Aldric is already leaving, ready to enact his plan to gather Pelagia's quadruple tithe to regain his power. He was in no shape to take on the hound, and needed to pay. But why not kick at the rotten foundations of this Jarl's rule while he gathers his strength? He reminds himself that even an impotent man can be dangerous, perhaps especially so, if pushed. Just by openly defying the Jarl, Anora and Aldric have demonstrated his weakness. Perhaps once they have destroyed the hound, the waves of popular tide will crash down upon the man.
What was his plan for the town? Surely he would not rile the town. Aldric had need of worshippers, not responsibilities. Anora was likely tied to her wizardrly order, and Ty would never bother. Perhaps Dufgal would enjoy ruling here? He was an almost local man with much ability, and the necessary ruthlessness. And having a friend as a Jarl could be quite useful for his true goal - to build the mountaintop temple to Pelagia.
What was his plan for the town? Surely he would not rile the town. Aldric had need of worshippers, not responsibilities. Anora was likely tied to her wizardrly order, and Ty would never bother. Perhaps Dufgal would enjoy ruling here? He was an almost local man with much ability, and the necessary ruthlessness. And having a friend as a Jarl could be quite useful for his true goal - to build the mountaintop temple to Pelagia.
Dec 26, 2024 7:17 am
Anora is tempted to draw her sword and so end the Jarl here and now. She had the numbers, and more importantly she had the right of the matter.
But then the Jarl’s man seems to ask for her cooperation, and so she relents, and draws the people of Hirot around her so that they may leave together! The Jarl had been shown to be an empty fool!
He couldn’t deal with the hound, and Anora the Blue was a good deal more wiley and resourceful than this moon dog!
But then the Jarl’s man seems to ask for her cooperation, and so she relents, and draws the people of Hirot around her so that they may leave together! The Jarl had been shown to be an empty fool!
He couldn’t deal with the hound, and Anora the Blue was a good deal more wiley and resourceful than this moon dog!
Dec 26, 2024 5:26 pm
It's not so much a retreat from the Jarl's great hall as it is a loud and purposeful withdrawal. A point has been made. Anora has the numbers -- had a melee broken out, the Jarl and his supporters would surely have come out on the losing end. But the price would have been dear -- at a time when every able body in the town was needed. The Hound's nightly attack loomed. If they were going to fight -- or hunt -- the thing, there would need to be coordination amongst uninured townsfolk.
Father Beacom's advance into the hall was reverse by the flow of villagers coming out, so the strangers find the priest and his two silent acolytes waiting for them when they emerge back out into waning sunlight. Mere hours remain until dusk, and Anora, Aldric, Dufgal and Tyravasiel-Llir immediately find themselves surrounded by more than half of Hirot's survivors. Among them are the apprentice girl who was to help Dufgal find a haft for the hammer, Wee Tocs, Lloré, Dolsten, Ofenloch and Haedrick. And all of Aldric's flock, plus bitey Catkins.
Broegan comes forward to try and comfort and quiet his daughter: the tall elf had to remove the girl bodily from the hall, so angry was she at the notion of Sylle Ru being solely to blame for the false lot-drawings. She'd squawked at the headman almost comically as her feet brushed the floor while she was whisked away, out of sword reach and bow-shot.
As the last of the Hirotians exit the building, Orioc stands in the entrance, waiting to hear what plans will be made. The town's man-bun-wearing skald voices the old Thegn's question.
"What now, brave heroes? Will you hunt and slay the wolf where none could before?!"
But before any of the four can think of answering, the sour-faced priest shouts aloud to seize the attention of the crowd.
"Repent, all of you! Miscreants! Confess to me and Justicia will absolve you of your transgressions -- she alone can be your salvation!"
Making eye contact with Anora, Beacom nods at her politely as a twisting shudder comes over his features, a twitch that lets the woman know he is still, in at least some minor way, her thrall.
His finger comes up when he regains his composure. "But first! There is -- there is a thief in our midst! A holy artifact has been taken from the shrine! Justicia will offer no protection without it!"
The man's eyes are squarely on Dufgal, on Aldric, on Ty.
"Step forward, vile robber, and return the relic. Then face your punishment!"
Father Beacom's advance into the hall was reverse by the flow of villagers coming out, so the strangers find the priest and his two silent acolytes waiting for them when they emerge back out into waning sunlight. Mere hours remain until dusk, and Anora, Aldric, Dufgal and Tyravasiel-Llir immediately find themselves surrounded by more than half of Hirot's survivors. Among them are the apprentice girl who was to help Dufgal find a haft for the hammer, Wee Tocs, Lloré, Dolsten, Ofenloch and Haedrick. And all of Aldric's flock, plus bitey Catkins.
Broegan comes forward to try and comfort and quiet his daughter: the tall elf had to remove the girl bodily from the hall, so angry was she at the notion of Sylle Ru being solely to blame for the false lot-drawings. She'd squawked at the headman almost comically as her feet brushed the floor while she was whisked away, out of sword reach and bow-shot.
As the last of the Hirotians exit the building, Orioc stands in the entrance, waiting to hear what plans will be made. The town's man-bun-wearing skald voices the old Thegn's question.
Lloré
But before any of the four can think of answering, the sour-faced priest shouts aloud to seize the attention of the crowd.
Father Beacom
Making eye contact with Anora, Beacom nods at her politely as a twisting shudder comes over his features, a twitch that lets the woman know he is still, in at least some minor way, her thrall.
His finger comes up when he regains his composure. "But first! There is -- there is a thief in our midst! A holy artifact has been taken from the shrine! Justicia will offer no protection without it!"
The man's eyes are squarely on Dufgal, on Aldric, on Ty.
"Step forward, vile robber, and return the relic. Then face your punishment!"
Dec 26, 2024 5:51 pm
Once more Ty's blindfold serves him well, for he can't help stealing a sidelong glance at Dufgal.
The elf knows the he himself did not steal the flyspeck priest's holy thing. The haughty Anora would not stoop to theft. Father Aldric makes such a spectacle of himself, everywhere he goes, that he simply wouldn't have the privacy to steal anything. But Dufgal-- who has a habit of disappearing and reappearing at the most opportune times-- is another story. Ty wouldn't put it past the burly human to have lightened the spiritual load of Justicia's church.
Not that it matters one whit to Ty. He's simply curious about that's been lifted.
So the beggar clears his phlegmy throat and wheedles, "Reverend master, might you be more specific in your accusation? What is it that has been stolen from you? You say 'artifact,' but as we all know, there are artifacts and there are artifacts. Mighty Justicia would scarcely begrudge the loss of a fancy candlestick or the knucklebones of some local hermit. We are strangers in your village, and pray that you will enlighten us."
The elf knows the he himself did not steal the flyspeck priest's holy thing. The haughty Anora would not stoop to theft. Father Aldric makes such a spectacle of himself, everywhere he goes, that he simply wouldn't have the privacy to steal anything. But Dufgal-- who has a habit of disappearing and reappearing at the most opportune times-- is another story. Ty wouldn't put it past the burly human to have lightened the spiritual load of Justicia's church.
Not that it matters one whit to Ty. He's simply curious about that's been lifted.
So the beggar clears his phlegmy throat and wheedles, "Reverend master, might you be more specific in your accusation? What is it that has been stolen from you? You say 'artifact,' but as we all know, there are artifacts and there are artifacts. Mighty Justicia would scarcely begrudge the loss of a fancy candlestick or the knucklebones of some local hermit. We are strangers in your village, and pray that you will enlighten us."
Last edited December 26, 2024 7:43 pm
Father Beacom
Dec 26, 2024 7:26 pm
Father Beacom
Sneering, his face twisting in rage, the robed man shouts, "Where is it?!"
Dec 27, 2024 2:14 am
Dufgal, upon hearing the priest speak of the weapon’s power, and combining that knowledge with his general disdain for the hypocrisy of the religious, loses his usual sense to keep out of the spotlight. He bursts forth with alacrity and finds himself hoisting the relic in emphasis,
"D’you’se mean this?! This holy relicks that might could kill dat hound?! And you’se keepin it from these folk?!" He pauses to let the truth sink in. "it seems the people of Hirot needs savin FROM you, not BY you!"
"D’you’se mean this?! This holy relicks that might could kill dat hound?! And you’se keepin it from these folk?!" He pauses to let the truth sink in. "it seems the people of Hirot needs savin FROM you, not BY you!"
Last edited December 27, 2024 2:32 am
Dec 27, 2024 6:02 am
Ah, they found the missing hammer. Aldric wonders for a moment how the potato stew turned out.
Without skipping a beat, Aldric roars with his preacher voice, reinforcing Dufgal's words, and making sure they carry to the back of the crowd.
"You mean to say, Father Beacom, that you've been participating in this lottery, this sacrifice of your congregation to the Hound's belly, when you had the means to destroy the Hound all this time?"
"What an injustice! Why, I wouldn't be surprised if Justica herself relocated the hammer from your sinful presence to a true and worthy man! And I'm not surprised she chose Dufgal, a man who hails from local origins, to right this wrong. A man of action and bravery!"
Never to early to plant the seeds of Dufgal's ascension to power, if he wanted it!
Without skipping a beat, Aldric roars with his preacher voice, reinforcing Dufgal's words, and making sure they carry to the back of the crowd.
"You mean to say, Father Beacom, that you've been participating in this lottery, this sacrifice of your congregation to the Hound's belly, when you had the means to destroy the Hound all this time?"
"What an injustice! Why, I wouldn't be surprised if Justica herself relocated the hammer from your sinful presence to a true and worthy man! And I'm not surprised she chose Dufgal, a man who hails from local origins, to right this wrong. A man of action and bravery!"
Never to early to plant the seeds of Dufgal's ascension to power, if he wanted it!
Last edited December 27, 2024 6:08 am
Dec 27, 2024 6:14 am
OOC:
Aldric and Dufgal, one of you make a PER check, please, to influence the crowd. Roll at +1d for having help from your pal, and see how you do. Looks like either Dufgal rolling 1d24+0 or Aldric rolling 1d24+1. There will be different effects at DC 5 (Anger at Beacom), 10 (Beacom Seized), and 15 (Beacom yeeted off the side of the causeway)...Dec 27, 2024 6:16 am
The fool from Garion’s Folly cringed in one part of him and gleamed in the other part. As much as he would not know how to handle the status upgrade, he craved it. From the shit throne to the gilt throne. "Quit daydreaming, you fool of a tool!" his father would shout. Thankfully, Dufgal needed to snap out of it. His posture and expression must match the story. He straightened up and tried to look proud and worthy, whatever that meant.
OOC:
Seems fitting it be Dufgal’s rollLast edited December 27, 2024 6:17 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Personality - (1d24+0)
(19) = 19
Dec 27, 2024 6:57 am
Anora nods her head to the Father in response to his own gesture. Seeing then that the tide was turning against him, she steps back into the crowd. The anger that might have been spent on the Jarl was now being spent on his third in command, if Anora suspected correctly.
She had little more use for the man, and less still for him when her spell faded. She smuggles herself among the townsfolk, and watches the events as they transpire.
She had little more use for the man, and less still for him when her spell faded. She smuggles herself among the townsfolk, and watches the events as they transpire.
Dec 28, 2024 6:32 am
The crowd, already whipped up to take on the Jarl, and then having had that thirst denied, screams for blood as Dufgal raises the beautifully crafted warhammer head, and as Aldric piles on with his inflammatory vitriol.
"Yes, the hammer!" Beacom bellows, but he is all but drowned out by the rising rage of his fellow villagers. They close in as he screeches denial.
"No! I could not wield the Righteous Fury! No one can, only the goddess herself! But it's presence -- ah! It's presence -- oooogh!"
Punches are now being thrown, claw-like hands are pulling at the man's robes. There's bedlam, with the priest at the center of it, but he never gives up his refrain. "It -- it kept the church safe! And I told you all to repent! I told you all!"
"Oyd fucking Tallson died on your steps with his son!" came a call.
"Moeroj the Tanner, too! He screamed to be let in, you prick! You killed him! You killed a lot of people!"
The scene becomes very ugly very quickly, but everyone falls dead quiet when the priest is roughly shoved off the bluff. The Jarl's great house and the sky biers beside are almost a hundred feet above the rest of the village, so Beacom screams a long time before he hits -- and falls brutally silent himself.
It's hard to know who exactly last pushed the man, and whether it was Tocs or Catkins who facilitated the wailing plummet by stooping down behind his legs. Regardless, all will remember that it is weathered Orioc who comes forward to look over the stone ridge first, and who spits and then smiles.
"He's had that comin' for years," the old Thegn says just before a slightly half-hearted roaring cheer goes back up, and then he adds to Dufgal, shouting, "Now let's get a haft on that gods-damned hammer!"
Father Beacom
"No! I could not wield the Righteous Fury! No one can, only the goddess herself! But it's presence -- ah! It's presence -- oooogh!"
Punches are now being thrown, claw-like hands are pulling at the man's robes. There's bedlam, with the priest at the center of it, but he never gives up his refrain. "It -- it kept the church safe! And I told you all to repent! I told you all!"
"Oyd fucking Tallson died on your steps with his son!" came a call.
"Moeroj the Tanner, too! He screamed to be let in, you prick! You killed him! You killed a lot of people!"
The scene becomes very ugly very quickly, but everyone falls dead quiet when the priest is roughly shoved off the bluff. The Jarl's great house and the sky biers beside are almost a hundred feet above the rest of the village, so Beacom screams a long time before he hits -- and falls brutally silent himself.
Orioc
"He's had that comin' for years," the old Thegn says just before a slightly half-hearted roaring cheer goes back up, and then he adds to Dufgal, shouting, "Now let's get a haft on that gods-damned hammer!"
OOC:
Minus one priest! He's quite dead, and with DCC's Falling rules, has broken a bunch of bones to boot.[ +- ] Falling Damage
Rolls
Beacom's Save (-1d because of the crowd) - (1d16)
(11) = 11
Falling Damage - (10d6)
(2653565416) = 43
Dec 28, 2024 12:46 pm
Two down…
Anora’s list of rivals shrank with each passing moment. Only the Jarl and the moon dog remained. The witch, too, if she would set her will against Anora’s once the spell’s effects wore off.
The Jarl and the Hound. Both tests of physical strength, Anora knew. The Jarl’s mind had diminished and his spirit was a crumpled ruin. Ru and the Father had been contests of personality, and only Anora remained of the trio.
She steps back to the fore of the crowd and nods her assent at Orioc’s cry!
Anora’s list of rivals shrank with each passing moment. Only the Jarl and the moon dog remained. The witch, too, if she would set her will against Anora’s once the spell’s effects wore off.
The Jarl and the Hound. Both tests of physical strength, Anora knew. The Jarl’s mind had diminished and his spirit was a crumpled ruin. Ru and the Father had been contests of personality, and only Anora remained of the trio.
She steps back to the fore of the crowd and nods her assent at Orioc’s cry!
OOC:
The hammer, yes! And Aldric has gifts to receive from the witch?Dec 28, 2024 5:19 pm
Dufgal felt something more when Beacom plunged to his death. It was more than a human body; it was the years of oppression that were tossed over that cliff. The smug, self-aggrandizement of those in power had always seemed unstoppable. And yet, here it was happening.
Then it dawned on him. If they continue to remove those in power, then there will be nowhere to hide from the blame should the hound prove unkillable. The pressure mounts.
He agreed with Orioc by nodding and moving towards him. Now that the secret was out, no riffraff was likely to try and steal the warhammer head. Gave protection to the church? Dufgal wondered if he was holding something magical. Something from a folk tale.
Then it dawned on him. If they continue to remove those in power, then there will be nowhere to hide from the blame should the hound prove unkillable. The pressure mounts.
He agreed with Orioc by nodding and moving towards him. Now that the secret was out, no riffraff was likely to try and steal the warhammer head. Gave protection to the church? Dufgal wondered if he was holding something magical. Something from a folk tale.
Dec 29, 2024 1:04 am
Ty isn't surprised when Dufgal hoists the stolen hammer. However, the large man's defiance does give him pause. And when the common folk of Hirot -- stirred up to vengeance by Dufgal and Aldric the Pelagian-- jettison Beacom from the raised causeway, Ty purses his lips in mild disapproval.
It's quite possible that the late Father Beacom was faithful to his goddess, after his fashion: preserving her relics; demanding penitence from the wayward (or those he imagined to be the wayward); defending only the devout from harm. Yet his tenure as Justicia's representative on earth could not save him from an aggressive bout of rabble-rousing.
It occurs to the elf that humans are as fickle in their choice of prelates as they are imaginative in their creation of false gods. Still, Beacom's literal fall leaves a spiritual void in the flyspeck village that another priest might fill-- perhaps the priest of the equally fanciful Bitch of the Sea.
And so, all to the good.
Ty puts on a smile and squares his shoulders for the task ahead. Ambling up to Orioc, he suggests, "As Justicia's church appears no longer to be occupied-- except, perhaps, by the godhead herself-- perhaps the good people of Hirot should pass the night's danger behind those sturdy walls, rather than huddled in the corners and cellars of their various hovels?"
It's quite possible that the late Father Beacom was faithful to his goddess, after his fashion: preserving her relics; demanding penitence from the wayward (or those he imagined to be the wayward); defending only the devout from harm. Yet his tenure as Justicia's representative on earth could not save him from an aggressive bout of rabble-rousing.
It occurs to the elf that humans are as fickle in their choice of prelates as they are imaginative in their creation of false gods. Still, Beacom's literal fall leaves a spiritual void in the flyspeck village that another priest might fill-- perhaps the priest of the equally fanciful Bitch of the Sea.
And so, all to the good.
Ty puts on a smile and squares his shoulders for the task ahead. Ambling up to Orioc, he suggests, "As Justicia's church appears no longer to be occupied-- except, perhaps, by the godhead herself-- perhaps the good people of Hirot should pass the night's danger behind those sturdy walls, rather than huddled in the corners and cellars of their various hovels?"
Last edited December 29, 2024 1:16 am
Dec 29, 2024 1:08 am
"Better there than within the Jarls walls!" Anora adds, turning from her earlier plan to have the people stay within the keep. She hadn’t expected the Jarl to be surrounded by quite so many armed men. And with vengeance on the man’s mind, the church walls would keep both man and beast without…
Dec 29, 2024 6:14 pm
Aldric laughs as the priest is tossed off the bluff like a sack of potatoes. He has a private moment with his goddess as this happens.
Pelagia, I have ripped out a weed in the sands of this beach, which is but a shore on your majestic realm. The weed's roots have left a hole, and that hole will soon fill with your waters.
But of course, he can't help but notice the irony - a priest, who once had the confidence of the town to such a degree that they sacrificed their kin rather than challenge him, was just deposed in the most unceremonious manner. Might this be his fate one day? He walked a dangerous path...
Pelagia, I have ripped out a weed in the sands of this beach, which is but a shore on your majestic realm. The weed's roots have left a hole, and that hole will soon fill with your waters.
But of course, he can't help but notice the irony - a priest, who once had the confidence of the town to such a degree that they sacrificed their kin rather than challenge him, was just deposed in the most unceremonious manner. Might this be his fate one day? He walked a dangerous path...
Dec 30, 2024 11:39 am
"We have little time to waste! The sun wanes, and we have a ways to travel!" she warns, wondering if their march towards the beast’s lair would at least keep the beast from the village for the night.
Dec 31, 2024 5:34 am
THE WOLF-SPEAR (ANORA)
The urgency in Anora's voice lends movement to everyone present, and after a quick discussion on what needs doing urgently, the three men go about their businesses while the Blue Wizardess falls back to the stout roadhouse where she'd left the worn folio of items that Dufgal had stolen from Ymae's cottage. The big thief was off with Orioc and some crafters, trying to affix a haft to the warhammer, while Aldric was to return to the witch's hut for... payment. Ty, the not-blind beggar? He went to the Church, the woman supposed, perhaps under the auspices of getting it ready to be secured for the night.
Now, laid out in front of the woman on a wide and long table are many pieces of worn and faded parchment -- including the map of the area that she, Dolsten and Dufgal had pieced together earlier.But even more interesting than that old map are the weathered, torn, and faded pieces of parchment that Anora had tucked into her own grimoire earlier. It would take time to study and decipher those muniments fully, but she could now see that these were treasures beyond belief.
Now having more time to pour over them, the spellweaver sees that there must be a half-dozen magical spells -- of the known 716 -- that are interleaved with treatises on contacting beings from higher planes... and a multi-page essay written by an Ensqualmer named Calindonadrius regarding the correct way to harness the Transcendental Phlogiston that surrounded and connected all things.
The urgency in Anora's voice lends movement to everyone present, and after a quick discussion on what needs doing urgently, the three men go about their businesses while the Blue Wizardess falls back to the stout roadhouse where she'd left the worn folio of items that Dufgal had stolen from Ymae's cottage. The big thief was off with Orioc and some crafters, trying to affix a haft to the warhammer, while Aldric was to return to the witch's hut for... payment. Ty, the not-blind beggar? He went to the Church, the woman supposed, perhaps under the auspices of getting it ready to be secured for the night.
Now, laid out in front of the woman on a wide and long table are many pieces of worn and faded parchment -- including the map of the area that she, Dolsten and Dufgal had pieced together earlier.
[ +- ] Once Again, The Map
Now having more time to pour over them, the spellweaver sees that there must be a half-dozen magical spells -- of the known 716 -- that are interleaved with treatises on contacting beings from higher planes... and a multi-page essay written by an Ensqualmer named Calindonadrius regarding the correct way to harness the Transcendental Phlogiston that surrounded and connected all things.
OOC:
I figure Anora has a little time here -- she can either try to identify these spells, organize and identify the patron information, or read the paper and try to better understand the source and nature of magic itself!Dec 31, 2024 5:51 am
YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC)
Aldric treads down to the witch's hovel with the intention of seeing whether the crone had prepared that which she had promised: shackles or manacles made from the magical golden thread they had seen her spinning by the fire. It could bind the Hound, Ymae had said, and what else? Ah yes -- that it would be ready by dusk.
Sunset is a few hours off still as Aldric stands at the witch's door. No sounds come from inside, and no candle or lamp-light seems to light the place from within. Sounds still resonate all through the town, but here, right now -- all is eerily quiet.
Aldric treads down to the witch's hovel with the intention of seeing whether the crone had prepared that which she had promised: shackles or manacles made from the magical golden thread they had seen her spinning by the fire. It could bind the Hound, Ymae had said, and what else? Ah yes -- that it would be ready by dusk.
Sunset is a few hours off still as Aldric stands at the witch's door. No sounds come from inside, and no candle or lamp-light seems to light the place from within. Sounds still resonate all through the town, but here, right now -- all is eerily quiet.
OOC:
All *is* quiet, Aldric, even if you knock or call out. (Which you can do in your post if you like.) Questions: what do you do... and did you bring your followers?Dec 31, 2024 6:16 am
AT THE WOODSMITH'S (DUFGAL)
"Look, I didn't have nothing to do with Jenks wanting to rob you," Ebbe had said up on top of the bluff, near the Jarl's hold when Orioc called for a new haft for the hammer. Something in the girl's voice made Dufgal at least partly believe her, so now they (Dufgal and her, Orioc the Thegn and a few other gawkers) had come back down to the village proper to see about completing the weapon. She'd introduced herself properly on the way down.
"I can either fix something to it quick, pin it and hope it holds for at least few hits, or I can spend a few hours at it to shave and fit the haft and do it right," the apprentice says to Orioc and Dufgal as she picks axe handles from the wall of the workshop.
"The Hound will be here after dark," the old warrior says evenly. "Can you finish it before then?"
Ebbe shrugs, unsure of how to answer. She simply doesn't know.
Ebbe the Apprentice
"I can either fix something to it quick, pin it and hope it holds for at least few hits, or I can spend a few hours at it to shave and fit the haft and do it right," the apprentice says to Orioc and Dufgal as she picks axe handles from the wall of the workshop.
Orioc
Ebbe shrugs, unsure of how to answer. She simply doesn't know.
OOC:
What does Dufgal think?Dec 31, 2024 6:55 am
AT THE CHURCH OF JUSTICIA (TY)
The two silent brothers retrieved Beacom's smashed body from where it laid crumpled, hurrying to get to it in case certain Hirotians decided to visit further violence upon the dead priest. They wrapped him in a beautifully embroidered death shroud and bore him to the sky biers, where he would be burned ritually when the time was right.
Ty takes up occupancy of the church during all this, and watches as villagers begin to slowly come in, carrying weapons, bedding and other possessions that make it clear they are intending to stay a spell.
The two silent brothers retrieved Beacom's smashed body from where it laid crumpled, hurrying to get to it in case certain Hirotians decided to visit further violence upon the dead priest. They wrapped him in a beautifully embroidered death shroud and bore him to the sky biers, where he would be burned ritually when the time was right.
Ty takes up occupancy of the church during all this, and watches as villagers begin to slowly come in, carrying weapons, bedding and other possessions that make it clear they are intending to stay a spell.
OOC:
Anything specific Ty wanted to do, any specific person he wanted to intereact with?Dec 31, 2024 7:42 am
Aldric had sacrificed much this day, and perhaps greatest of all was his sacrifice to lie with the Crone. He intended not to let that sacrifice be for naught. He does decide to bring only one of his followers, and he chose the one with the most potential - the psycho girl, Catkins. The girl needed to learn how to conduct business.
He approaches her hovel, with Catkins in tow, and bangs on the door with his oar. While they wait, he gives her some final instructions.
"Now, keep those teeth to yourself. Don't be trying to bite off anything of hers, because you'll end up as a slug or some such foul transmutation! We are only here for an important weapon against the Hound that I paid dearly for."
He shudders at the memory of it all.
He approaches her hovel, with Catkins in tow, and bangs on the door with his oar. While they wait, he gives her some final instructions.
"Now, keep those teeth to yourself. Don't be trying to bite off anything of hers, because you'll end up as a slug or some such foul transmutation! We are only here for an important weapon against the Hound that I paid dearly for."
He shudders at the memory of it all.
Last edited December 31, 2024 7:44 am
Dec 31, 2024 8:28 am
Relfarious be damned. Anora had before her several of the seven hundred and sixteen. She’d had quite enough of extra-dimensional deities and demon dogs for one season, and so put the work on planar beings to one side for now.
No. The arcane words would serve Anora more readily in her next test. If only she could decipher which of the seven hundred and sixteen lay before her!
No. The arcane words would serve Anora more readily in her next test. If only she could decipher which of the seven hundred and sixteen lay before her!
Dec 31, 2024 3:33 pm
Tyravasiel-Llir meanders about Justicia's church. Some might say he's casing it.
Under the guise of preparing-- fecklessly, since he cannot see-- for the villagers' arrival, he is weaving from pew, to sideboard, to altar, feeling his way around each with his fingers. As he goes, the elf sends up the occasional scrap of guidance or advice to no one in particular. "Come in now, down to the front! Make room for all!" Or, "Let us have some sturdy fellows near the doors." Or, "Tell your friends and relations that the church offers refuge! The night comes on fast."
In truth, Ty is looking for anything in the flyspeck temple that may be rare or valuable. With Beacom having shuffled off, and his acolytes busy with his reverend corpse up at the sky biers, now seems as good a time as any to loot anything Dufgal may have left behind.
Under the guise of preparing-- fecklessly, since he cannot see-- for the villagers' arrival, he is weaving from pew, to sideboard, to altar, feeling his way around each with his fingers. As he goes, the elf sends up the occasional scrap of guidance or advice to no one in particular. "Come in now, down to the front! Make room for all!" Or, "Let us have some sturdy fellows near the doors." Or, "Tell your friends and relations that the church offers refuge! The night comes on fast."
In truth, Ty is looking for anything in the flyspeck temple that may be rare or valuable. With Beacom having shuffled off, and his acolytes busy with his reverend corpse up at the sky biers, now seems as good a time as any to loot anything Dufgal may have left behind.
Catkins
Dec 31, 2024 5:03 pm
YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC)
Catkins skips with Aldric down to the witch's hovel, loudly, tunelessly and rather unsettlingly humming the whole way. She snorts a little when they come in sight of the hut and the priest offers his counsel, then the girl nimbly climbs up, almost spider-like, to look in a window as Aldric beats on the door with his oar.
"Awful dark in there," the bug-eyed girl says from the window as the door, unlocked and unlatched, creaks open from the force of Aldric's pounding...
Catkins
"Awful dark in there," the bug-eyed girl says from the window as the door, unlocked and unlatched, creaks open from the force of Aldric's pounding...
OOC:
Make a Luck check, please, Aldric. Looks like Luck is currently 7? Roll that or under with a d20.Dec 31, 2024 5:08 pm
AT THE CHURCH OF JUSTICIA (TY)
OOC:
I presume Ty is willing to dive into various alcoves, side rooms, bedchambers in the back and such? If so, make me a Luck check, please. 9 or under, it looks like, and with no priests or brothers around take a +1d bonus -- so roll a d16 instead of a d20.Dec 31, 2024 8:38 pm
Aldric takes a deep breath as the door swings open. Ah, but to be a simple potato farmer again!
OOC:
Nope!Last edited December 31, 2024 8:38 pm
Rolls
Luck (7) - (1d20)
(19) = 19
Dec 31, 2024 8:48 pm
Dufgal, feeling less wary with Orioc attending to the task as well, gives Ebbe a look of assessment and finally says, "Meet us in the middle o’ needs and wants, girl. I’se thinkin the sun-a-setting is too late seein as we’se need the hour to git there." The thief seems unaware that he may be omitting some context.
OOC:
Translation: better than rickety but don’t take all the way to sunset to do it. Last edited December 31, 2024 8:49 pm
Dec 31, 2024 10:53 pm
OOC:
Under the guise of making arrangements for the villagers to stay the night, Ty is casing the whole church, yes. I shall roll!Rolls
Luck Check (9-) - (1d16)
(3) = 3
Jan 1, 2025 12:31 am
OOC:
Anora, from our Discord discussion you're going to read the essay, and also get the names of the spells. Please roll an INT check vs. DC 10! Add your Level as well to this roll.Jan 1, 2025 1:13 am
OOC:
Don’t mess this up!OOC:
Burning my 1 point of luck, bringing me back down to Luck:1.Last edited January 1, 2025 1:24 am
Rolls
Roll! - (1d20+1)
(8) + 1 = 9
Jan 1, 2025 1:50 am
OOC:
Anora, you can burn luck, but I also should have told you that you could use Spellburn on this roll. That's something you haven't tinkered with much yet, and it feels like you're just not thinking to tap it as a resource. (I might be wrong, but it's normally a core part of playing a wizard.)Either way, one time offer here -- if you don't want to use that point of Luck, one point of after-the-fact- Spellburn will also work: STR, AGI, or STA. (Usually you have to decide on Spellburn before you roll... here I'll allow after because I wasn't clear up-front.)
[ +- ] Spellburn
Jan 1, 2025 10:43 am
OOC:
For posterity, I’ll say here that I’ll use my Luck on this! 1 luck is as good as 2 when the number is so low. Spellburn… well, Anora might enfeeble herself later to try and do something against the hound!
Jan 2, 2025 8:06 am
YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC)
The door creaks loudly as it swings open, allowing Aldric a direct line of sight into the shadowy depths of the little building. He remembers from before that it seems so much bigger on the inside than it does on the out... and he remembers the candles, the fire where Ymae had spun glowing golden thread. Now -- now it seems a very different space.
It seems cold. Gloomy. Abandoned.
"'Ang on, I got a candle," Catkins says as she hops down from the window and joins Aldric at the entrance. She's struck a spark and lit the thing in an instant, and the shadows inside the witch's abode seem to eat the light coming from the flickering flame when she holds it up.
The strange-looking girl's brow wrinkles.
"Not good," she says.
The door creaks loudly as it swings open, allowing Aldric a direct line of sight into the shadowy depths of the little building. He remembers from before that it seems so much bigger on the inside than it does on the out... and he remembers the candles, the fire where Ymae had spun glowing golden thread. Now -- now it seems a very different space.
It seems cold. Gloomy. Abandoned.
Catkins
The strange-looking girl's brow wrinkles.
"Not good," she says.
OOC:
Looks like maybe no one is home! Very hard to see inside without taking some kind of light source in there.Jan 2, 2025 8:25 am
AT THE CHURCH OF JUSTICIA (TY)
A few dozen villagers have settled into the church as Ty sits in Beacom's overstuffed chair in the priest's rather ostentatious bedchambers. There's an ornate and fully equipped writing desk, a four-post canopy bed, multiple paintings, clothing with gold-threaded edgings, a very ornate-looking silver oil lamp and more.
In the small chest on the elf's lap, he has collected together his thievings, which impressively include a thousand carefully stacked silver coins, three hundred coppers and eighty gold. Additionally, treasures (found in trunks and drawers and beneath floorboards and hidden in the backs of wardrobes) consist of a heavy ingot of pure copper, a delicate silver crown, child-sized and platinum chased, and a beautiful silver locket in pristine condition. The locket has the whiff of strong magic, Ty thinks, and his elfin senses can faintly detect that a collection of old, blood-stained bandages appear to have been ensorcelled at some point.
A few dozen villagers have settled into the church as Ty sits in Beacom's overstuffed chair in the priest's rather ostentatious bedchambers. There's an ornate and fully equipped writing desk, a four-post canopy bed, multiple paintings, clothing with gold-threaded edgings, a very ornate-looking silver oil lamp and more.
In the small chest on the elf's lap, he has collected together his thievings, which impressively include a thousand carefully stacked silver coins, three hundred coppers and eighty gold. Additionally, treasures (found in trunks and drawers and beneath floorboards and hidden in the backs of wardrobes) consist of a heavy ingot of pure copper, a delicate silver crown, child-sized and platinum chased, and a beautiful silver locket in pristine condition. The locket has the whiff of strong magic, Ty thinks, and his elfin senses can faintly detect that a collection of old, blood-stained bandages appear to have been ensorcelled at some point.
OOC:
The locket appears as though it might open. Will this activate the magic? Hard to say!Rolls
Minor Charms - (1d100, 1d100)
1d100 : (35) = 35
1d100 : (75) = 75
Coins - (5d100)
(121106784) = 183
Valuables - (1d100, 1d100)
1d100 : (39) = 39
1d100 : (87) = 87
Ebbe the Apprentice
Jan 2, 2025 8:44 am
AT THE WOODSMITH'S (DUFGAL)
Ebbe nods at Dufgal as she sets to work. "I'll do me best!"
Perhaps an hour later, the girl raises the hammer happily up, as it is now mounted firmly on a sturdy haft!
Ebbe the Apprentice
Perhaps an hour later, the girl raises the hammer happily up, as it is now mounted firmly on a sturdy haft!
OOC:
The mounting is sound and will only fail on a Fumble or a Critical!Rolls
Smithery Stuff vs. DC 10 (-1d due to shortness of time) - (1d16)
(11) = 11
Jan 2, 2025 8:50 am
THE WOLF-SPEAR (ANORA)
Careful study reveals to Anora what she is looking at: some of the spells that Ymae likely knows! They include Enlarge / Reduce, Ventriloquism, Patron Bond, Cantrip, Spider Climb, and Forget.
It is difficult for the woman to not be giddy about the magical treasures laid out before her, but she is soon drawn in by Calindonadrius's theoretical writings on the nature of Transcendental Phlogiston, and how it might be best summon, harnessed, and dismissed. The essay is illuminating, and by the time Anora is finished she wants nothing more than to read it again! For as much as she grasped, there are theorems and equations and connections she cannot quite yet fathom!
The essay grants Anora a permanent +1 INT! She can try reading it once per level, and it will give her +1 for each DC she beats: 10 (which she just got), 10, 20, 25.
Careful study reveals to Anora what she is looking at: some of the spells that Ymae likely knows! They include Enlarge / Reduce, Ventriloquism, Patron Bond, Cantrip, Spider Climb, and Forget.
It is difficult for the woman to not be giddy about the magical treasures laid out before her, but she is soon drawn in by Calindonadrius's theoretical writings on the nature of Transcendental Phlogiston, and how it might be best summon, harnessed, and dismissed. The essay is illuminating, and by the time Anora is finished she wants nothing more than to read it again! For as much as she grasped, there are theorems and equations and connections she cannot quite yet fathom!
OOC:
Spells: Forget is Level 2, everything else is Level 1. Each will take a week per level to try and learn. And you'll need a free spell slot.The essay grants Anora a permanent +1 INT! She can try reading it once per level, and it will give her +1 for each DC she beats: 10 (which she just got), 10, 20, 25.
Rolls
Number of Spells - (1d3+4)
(2) + 4 = 6
Spells - (1d14, 1d14, 1d14, 1d14, 1d14, 1d14)
1d14 : (4) = 4
1d14 : (11) = 11
1d14 : (8) = 8
1d14 : (2) = 2
1d14 : (13) = 13
1d14 : (10) = 10
Jan 2, 2025 5:33 pm
Knowing the value of service work, Dufgal reaches into his coin pouch and fishes out 10sp.
"You’se won’t be an apprentice for long wif this fine work! Many thanks."
He hands over the coins to Ebbe as she hands him the warhammer which can now no longer be concealed. So, the burly man hefts it on his shoulder proudly.
"You’se won’t be an apprentice for long wif this fine work! Many thanks."
He hands over the coins to Ebbe as she hands him the warhammer which can now no longer be concealed. So, the burly man hefts it on his shoulder proudly.
OOC:
Character sheet updatedLast edited January 3, 2025 6:04 pm
Jan 2, 2025 7:37 pm
Aldric gives Catkins an approving look, then pushes her into the hovel, with her candle lighting the way. Much potential!
He calls out into the darkness, hoping to catch Ymae's ear. "Ymae, I have returned for that which I bargained for. The hour has come for us to slay the Hound." He holds his oar with Pelagia's symbol facing outward, as a ward against trouble.
To Catkins, he whispers "Touch nothing, lest I bade you do it. This is no squatter's hovel, but the home of a powerful practitioner of mystic arts. Any one of these things might turn you into a newt or capture your soul."
Aldric has no idea if that's true, and actually kinda doubts it, but he figures it help keep the little nipper on good behaviour.
He calls out into the darkness, hoping to catch Ymae's ear. "Ymae, I have returned for that which I bargained for. The hour has come for us to slay the Hound." He holds his oar with Pelagia's symbol facing outward, as a ward against trouble.
To Catkins, he whispers "Touch nothing, lest I bade you do it. This is no squatter's hovel, but the home of a powerful practitioner of mystic arts. Any one of these things might turn you into a newt or capture your soul."
Aldric has no idea if that's true, and actually kinda doubts it, but he figures it help keep the little nipper on good behaviour.
Jan 3, 2025 1:40 am
Ty hums a little tune-- arrhythmic, discordant, but strangely haunting-- while he transfers Justicia's eighty pieces of gold into his own pack. It seems to him a fitting recompense for all of his efforts on behalf of the Fates in this human village. Who knows, he might even share the bounty with his confederates-- those who survive the night, at any rate. The child's crown goes into the pack as well; it seems the sort of thing that might have a story behind it, if Ty can find someone to tell it.
The silver and copper coins he leaves in the chest. He fills the space once occupied by gold with the copper ingot, then closes the lid. The elf has another use in mind for these valuables.
The bandages he ignores, despite their whiff of magic, for they are befouled with human blood. Beacom's mute acolytes are welcome to them.
That leaves only the locket. Tyravasiel lets it swing gently before his face; the coarse cloth of his blindfold shifts as his eyes follow the pendant to and fro. There's magic in this bauble, too, and where there's magic there's often danger; it would be wiser, Ty reflects, not to open the thing. But how can he offer it up to his deadly pursuer if he doesn't even know what it is?
The elf presses his lips together. After a moment's indecision, he plucks the locket up by its chain until it rests in his palm. Tyravasiel turns the silver ornament in the light, examining its surface for any definite shape or inscription that might hint at its purpose.
The silver and copper coins he leaves in the chest. He fills the space once occupied by gold with the copper ingot, then closes the lid. The elf has another use in mind for these valuables.
The bandages he ignores, despite their whiff of magic, for they are befouled with human blood. Beacom's mute acolytes are welcome to them.
That leaves only the locket. Tyravasiel lets it swing gently before his face; the coarse cloth of his blindfold shifts as his eyes follow the pendant to and fro. There's magic in this bauble, too, and where there's magic there's often danger; it would be wiser, Ty reflects, not to open the thing. But how can he offer it up to his deadly pursuer if he doesn't even know what it is?
The elf presses his lips together. After a moment's indecision, he plucks the locket up by its chain until it rests in his palm. Tyravasiel turns the silver ornament in the light, examining its surface for any definite shape or inscription that might hint at its purpose.
OOC:
Can I get a description of the locket, specifically either of the things that Ty is looking for?Jan 3, 2025 9:21 am
Alone, finally, Anora slumps back in her chair, as if she had just put away a very large meal. The others would be along shortly, no doubt! Still, the woman was content at being reminded of the good old days; before swamps and cold stone. Before villagers and Jarls. The time when Anora could sit for hours and work through a scroll at her leisure.
She enjoys the warmth of the Hirotian ale house a little more before the others come back and drag her from the place she had made her den the past day or more…
She enjoys the warmth of the Hirotian ale house a little more before the others come back and drag her from the place she had made her den the past day or more…
Jan 4, 2025 10:51 pm
AT THE WOODSMITH'S (DUFGAL)
Ebbe accepts the payment Dufgal offers with an astonished expression.
"Ten! Ten pieces of silver... for just putting a handle on!?"
The apprentice is flabbergasted, looking almost like she'd been struck!
Orioc smiles at the young, strong-limbed smith as he claps the thief on the back.
"Just take it, girl! We've need of it, and no one else in this town could do what you done in twice the time!"
Ebbe the Apprentice
"Ten! Ten pieces of silver... for just putting a handle on!?"
The apprentice is flabbergasted, looking almost like she'd been struck!
Orioc
"Just take it, girl! We've need of it, and no one else in this town could do what you done in twice the time!"
OOC:
We'll cut here and bring everyone together shortly.Jan 4, 2025 11:06 pm
YMAE'S HUT (ALDRIC)
Catkins, as crazy as the girl seems -- which is plenty crazy, to be clear -- seems to shrink down inside herself when Aldric tells her to touch nothing. The youngster has no interest in losing her soul, or in being turned into a newt... so she is careful as she holds the candle high so that they may see. Aldric calls out, but there is no answer -- at least not initially.
The wan light of the flickering flame reveals details of the inside of the hovel that runs the blood in Aldric's veins cold. The shelves and cupboards have collapsed. The furniture has rotted away as though it's somehow sat for a hundred years. The curtains and the quilted wall-hangings are moldy and black; the floorboards are separating, warped and splintered. The smell of rot accompanies this vision of a house in shambles, and then a pair of eyes open in the gloom, at the very edge of the candlelight. They are cat's eyes, but the shadowy bulk they seem affixed to looks like no cat. It is much larger.
"She told you dusk," a deep, accented voice intones, from the direction of those eyes. "And dusk it will be. No sooner. Begone now."
Catkins, as crazy as the girl seems -- which is plenty crazy, to be clear -- seems to shrink down inside herself when Aldric tells her to touch nothing. The youngster has no interest in losing her soul, or in being turned into a newt... so she is careful as she holds the candle high so that they may see. Aldric calls out, but there is no answer -- at least not initially.
The wan light of the flickering flame reveals details of the inside of the hovel that runs the blood in Aldric's veins cold. The shelves and cupboards have collapsed. The furniture has rotted away as though it's somehow sat for a hundred years. The curtains and the quilted wall-hangings are moldy and black; the floorboards are separating, warped and splintered. The smell of rot accompanies this vision of a house in shambles, and then a pair of eyes open in the gloom, at the very edge of the candlelight. They are cat's eyes, but the shadowy bulk they seem affixed to looks like no cat. It is much larger.
"She told you dusk," a deep, accented voice intones, from the direction of those eyes. "And dusk it will be. No sooner. Begone now."
Jan 4, 2025 11:24 pm
AT THE CHURCH OF JUSTICIA (TY)
As Ty looks more carefully at the locket, he sees that it was formed by some skilled silversmith in the shape of a small heart [❤]. There is a tiny hinge: it clearly opens to reveal something within. As he lifts it into the light, as he turns it over in his hands -- there is no inscription, no design, no engraving. What was the thing's purpose? What lies within?
As Ty looks more carefully at the locket, he sees that it was formed by some skilled silversmith in the shape of a small heart [❤]. There is a tiny hinge: it clearly opens to reveal something within. As he lifts it into the light, as he turns it over in his hands -- there is no inscription, no design, no engraving. What was the thing's purpose? What lies within?
OOC:
Other deets you wanted?Jan 4, 2025 11:35 pm
THE WOLF-SPEAR (ANORA)
As Anora sits, mentally exhausted by what she has just learned, and by all the rest of the day's exploits, she watches Broegan Haverson approach.
"Anora the Blue," he says formally as he comes to stand in front of her. "You and yours have done so much. We might not beat this Hound... but now we will at least try!"
Armed with a cleaning rag, the man wrings it briefly, nervously. "So," he adds, "what is your plan then, for tonight?"
As Anora sits, mentally exhausted by what she has just learned, and by all the rest of the day's exploits, she watches Broegan Haverson approach.
Broegan Haverson
Armed with a cleaning rag, the man wrings it briefly, nervously. "So," he adds, "what is your plan then, for tonight?"
OOC:
Other PCs can join here and then set off for the tomb if that's the intention. Dolsen can lead you there.Jan 5, 2025 1:41 am
Bloody animals, Aldric thought. First hounds, now ... whatever this was. He had half a mind to turn the unholy feline with his Pelagic authority, but what would that avail him? If she wasn't done, she wasn't done, and coming home to find her giant cat pissed the rug because he drove it back with holy magic wasn't going to do his cause any good. Although, given the state of this place, maybe a pissed-stained rug wouldn't be that noticeable.
"Fine, watch for my return at dusk, then," he responds to the cat thing, annoyed. He drags Catkins out of the hovel with him, and if his exit isn't prevented, he will go check on how the fundraising efforts his followers are supposed to be conducting are proceeding.
At least he felt a little satisfaction that Catkins had the shit scared out of her a little. Good to make sure the runt was aware that there were far darker and scarier things than her in the world.
"Fine, watch for my return at dusk, then," he responds to the cat thing, annoyed. He drags Catkins out of the hovel with him, and if his exit isn't prevented, he will go check on how the fundraising efforts his followers are supposed to be conducting are proceeding.
At least he felt a little satisfaction that Catkins had the shit scared out of her a little. Good to make sure the runt was aware that there were far darker and scarier things than her in the world.
Last edited January 5, 2025 1:44 am
Jan 5, 2025 1:50 am
Tyravasiel heaves a little sigh. There's no inscription to hint at the locket's purpose, and nothing distinctive about its shape: a heart, amongst the most common forms that a human amulet can take. Strange that such mean-hearted creatures seem to be so obsessed with their own.
No help for it, then.
The elf runs his thumb along the side of the locket until he can feel the seam, then gently pushes it open on its hinge.
No help for it, then.
The elf runs his thumb along the side of the locket until he can feel the seam, then gently pushes it open on its hinge.
Jan 5, 2025 2:04 am
"Them coins ain’t just fer the task. They’se fer yer sufferin in dis place."
Dufgal gives the kind of look that is supposed to say that he knows well the lowest rung.
Then he heads out to meet his destiny with his… friends.
Dufgal gives the kind of look that is supposed to say that he knows well the lowest rung.
Then he heads out to meet his destiny with his… friends.
Jan 5, 2025 6:50 am
AT THE CHURCH OF JUSTICIA (TY)
The locket opens easily, and inside Ty finds a delicate engraving of what looks like several stacks of coins. It's a very nice locket. Very nice indeed, the elf thinks. He should keep this trinket, not give it to the Mistress of The Ninth Blossom. No, other treasures would have to sate the Dark Lady. Though in truth, did she have need of riches? Silver, gold, gems? No, he decides almost instantly -- she does not!
The locket opens easily, and inside Ty finds a delicate engraving of what looks like several stacks of coins. It's a very nice locket. Very nice indeed, the elf thinks. He should keep this trinket, not give it to the Mistress of The Ninth Blossom. No, other treasures would have to sate the Dark Lady. Though in truth, did she have need of riches? Silver, gold, gems? No, he decides almost instantly -- she does not!
OOC:
Make a Willpower Save please, vs. DC 15!Rolls
Mystery Roll - (1d6+6)
(5) + 6 = 11
Jan 5, 2025 10:49 am
Anora waves away any formality in the man’s voice or action. She had first stepped into this building with Broegan tied to the chair, and her voice commanded he be set free. Odd bonds such as these broke down the barriers between people; be they city folk or far flung villagers.
"Well, there is power in place, Broegan Haverson. Marching on the beast, and finding it in its own den, rather than it in ours, might make all the difference." she says, then sighing. She rubs at her eyes, before going on.
"I hope to appeal to the cosmic order in this way, and to old magic. Power and place… And, if I am wrong, then we shall simply thrash the beast with the tools we have gathered up all the same and let the bards tell of what happens next… one way or the other!"
"Well, there is power in place, Broegan Haverson. Marching on the beast, and finding it in its own den, rather than it in ours, might make all the difference." she says, then sighing. She rubs at her eyes, before going on.
"I hope to appeal to the cosmic order in this way, and to old magic. Power and place… And, if I am wrong, then we shall simply thrash the beast with the tools we have gathered up all the same and let the bards tell of what happens next… one way or the other!"
Jan 5, 2025 10:58 pm
OUTSIDE THE WOLF-SPEAR (ALL)
Three hours of sunlight remains as the strangers to Hirot reconvene outside the Wolf-Spear. Quite a crowd has gathered to see what they are planning, but a good number of the villagers are already in, or on their way to, the church. Interestingly, Ty noted in his travels through the building that it seemed untouched by previous Hound attacks. No shutters were smashed, no doors clawed. He'd also understood the magic he held in his hand with that locket as he closed it and tucked it away, perhaps for future use?
Dufgal had successfully re-hafted the holy warhammer, and carried the storied weapon like a common sledge.
Aldric and Catkins had returned to find that the newly converted had placed the treasures they could find throughout town in a wooden crate near the inn's door. Anora had calmed a few nerves with her words, but her head was still abuzz with what she had learned from the wizard's essay. Her mind brimmed with possibilities.
"We owe you everything," Morgan says to the quartet as they gear up for travel and possibly tomb exploration. "But what can we do for you now? Are you dead set on going to Ulfheonar's Tomb?"
Aldric -- make a PER test to see how well you inspired your followers to search out coins and treasure. At DC 5 there will be a few things in the box. DC 10 will additionally net you 4d6 copper coins, DC 15 will add 3d6 silver coins, and DC 20 will produce a stash someone was sitting on -- 10d6 silvers.
I feel like I'm forgetting something else. Hit me in the Discord if I am!
Three hours of sunlight remains as the strangers to Hirot reconvene outside the Wolf-Spear. Quite a crowd has gathered to see what they are planning, but a good number of the villagers are already in, or on their way to, the church. Interestingly, Ty noted in his travels through the building that it seemed untouched by previous Hound attacks. No shutters were smashed, no doors clawed. He'd also understood the magic he held in his hand with that locket as he closed it and tucked it away, perhaps for future use?
Dufgal had successfully re-hafted the holy warhammer, and carried the storied weapon like a common sledge.
Aldric and Catkins had returned to find that the newly converted had placed the treasures they could find throughout town in a wooden crate near the inn's door. Anora had calmed a few nerves with her words, but her head was still abuzz with what she had learned from the wizard's essay. Her mind brimmed with possibilities.
Morgan Haverson
OOC:
Any specific NPC (within reason, the Jarl is not here, and neither is Orioc -- he's gone to inform the Jarl what's happening) you want can be here to interact with. Barring that, I think the idea is for Dolsten to lead you all to the stream, and then the tomb, yes?Aldric -- make a PER test to see how well you inspired your followers to search out coins and treasure. At DC 5 there will be a few things in the box. DC 10 will additionally net you 4d6 copper coins, DC 15 will add 3d6 silver coins, and DC 20 will produce a stash someone was sitting on -- 10d6 silvers.
I feel like I'm forgetting something else. Hit me in the Discord if I am!
Jan 6, 2025 12:16 am
OOC:
Is the kitchen open at the tavern house? He’s gonna need to eat meat before this quest. OOC:
Dufgal would want Llore to accompany them to the tomb. He evaded the hound once already. He may know something Jan 6, 2025 12:34 am
OOC:
PER test, with a -4 from the Bitch Queen's disfavor.Rolls
PER test - (1d20-3)
(17) - 3 = 14
coppers - (4d6)
(1546) = 16
Jan 7, 2025 2:23 am
Ty meanders back from the church, tapping along with his leather-wrapped cane. His pack is heavier by a full eighty pieces of gold, a child's silver crown, and one greed-cursed locket. He carries the rest of Justicia's bounty in the small chest tucked under one arm, which he makes no effort to hide.
Indeed, once he reaches the others, Ty crouches with the groan of an old man fighting old bones and sets the chest on the dirt between their feet.
"Father Beacom's contribution to the cause," he declares. "May his tithe wing him to whatever mortal heaven awaits him."
Indeed, once he reaches the others, Ty crouches with the groan of an old man fighting old bones and sets the chest on the dirt between their feet.
"Father Beacom's contribution to the cause," he declares. "May his tithe wing him to whatever mortal heaven awaits him."
Jan 7, 2025 5:35 am
Justicia’s contribution to this whole ordeal had been a good deal more material than Pelagia’s. The hammer head, and now a small fortune… If only Aldric’s sea-queen could provide in a similar way.
"We do. You can usher the people to the church and bar the doors against the beast. It might be that we fail, or that we make poor time. The beast may attack. Let the people know that it is expected. Do not open the doors of the place for man nor beast. I fear reprisal from the Jarl…" Anora says, muttering that last part low and to Morgan alone.
"We do. You can usher the people to the church and bar the doors against the beast. It might be that we fail, or that we make poor time. The beast may attack. Let the people know that it is expected. Do not open the doors of the place for man nor beast. I fear reprisal from the Jarl…" Anora says, muttering that last part low and to Morgan alone.
Morgan Haverson
Jan 7, 2025 6:19 am
OOC:
Ah, so Ty ended up taking the lot with him, including the copper ingot, yes? As reported in Discord, Aldric, that means there's 300 copper and 1000 silver inside the chest! Plus probably a big bar of copper worth a small fortune itself. Is this all happening out in public, in front of the inn?Morgan Haverson
"We will do our best, to make sure everyone is safe," she says, before concern marks her attractive but tired features. "But we will open those doors if you come running with the Hound in pursuit. Barring those doors in the face of those in need is what Beacom did, night after night!"
About a reprisal from the Jarl, Haverson says nothing, but her visage darkens further...
Jan 7, 2025 6:23 am
Ofenloch
Haedrick
OOC:
Kreig, Clohn and Haelf are with the Jarl. Orioc has gone up to tell them about the plan, and Utherl is in the church, still recuperating from nearly being garrotted to death.Jan 9, 2025 2:28 am
Aldric was dismayed at the paltry sum his followers had been able to rustle up. Yes, he’d given them short notice, but their efforts were laughably inadequate to meet the quadruple tithe he owed to Pelagia, the price of lifting the curse that clung to him like a barnacle. He wipes brine from his forehead, utterly soggy to his core, a small puddle spreading at his feet*. They were on the verge of delving into an ancient tomb—a place no doubt teeming with deadly perils—and here he stood, shackled by divine debt and despair.
Since the day Pelagia had sunk her claws into him, Aldric’s life had spiralled into a farce. Though he prided himself on enduring misfortune with grit, now his resolve faltered. The endless seep of brine from his skin masked the tears that carved paths down his weathered face. Surely, before the night was over he would be dead, and his soul in Pelagia's eternal clutches.
Then Ty appeared, striding toward him with a chest in hand. Without ceremony, the elf dropped it at Aldric’s feet. The sound of the latch snapping open echoed in his ears, but nothing could have prepared him for what lay inside: a glittering hoard of silver coins. A thousand pieces.
Aldric stared, his breath caught in his throat.
This wasn’t his followers’ doing; they couldn’t have managed it. He hadn’t schemed or cajoled this fortune into existence. Even prayer had failed him—he didn’t dare risk invoking Pelagia’s wrath further. Yet here it was, five times the sum he needed, laid before him by an elf.
For a moment, Aldric was paralyzed—not by gratitude, but by the realization of how profoundly he’d underestimated Ty, and everyone else around him. Since pledging himself to Pelagia, Aldric had been consumed by his singular mission to appease the goddess, to stave off her ceaseless torment. He’d reduced the world to a series of transactions, every relationship a tool to keep himself afloat for another day.
Ty had done this not out of obligation or fear or being tricked, but by something startlingly collegial. A thousand silver pieces—a pauper’s fortune to Aldric, but perhaps just metal discs to an elf. Yet, Ty surely knew their worth in human lands. Had Ty left Aldric to out to dry and kept the money for some more advantageous purpose, he wouldn't have blamed him. Whatever his reasons, the act was ... kind. And it stirred something in Aldric’s chest he hadn’t felt in a long time. It made him feel human.
"I thank you, Ty - truly," Aldric said, his voice hoarse but sincere.
A new resolve began to form in his mind. Perhaps Pelagia would always be his tormentor, but he didn’t need to sacrifice everything to her. His dignity, his self-worth—those could still be his to defend.
He dared not call Ty, Anora, or even Dufgal his friends. He hadn’t earned that right. He was, by his own admission, a cantankerous fool. But perhaps there was time to change that. Perhaps, before the end, he could prove himself worthy.
* - 100% curse moisture! Not urine this time! Probably!
Since the day Pelagia had sunk her claws into him, Aldric’s life had spiralled into a farce. Though he prided himself on enduring misfortune with grit, now his resolve faltered. The endless seep of brine from his skin masked the tears that carved paths down his weathered face. Surely, before the night was over he would be dead, and his soul in Pelagia's eternal clutches.
Then Ty appeared, striding toward him with a chest in hand. Without ceremony, the elf dropped it at Aldric’s feet. The sound of the latch snapping open echoed in his ears, but nothing could have prepared him for what lay inside: a glittering hoard of silver coins. A thousand pieces.
Aldric stared, his breath caught in his throat.
This wasn’t his followers’ doing; they couldn’t have managed it. He hadn’t schemed or cajoled this fortune into existence. Even prayer had failed him—he didn’t dare risk invoking Pelagia’s wrath further. Yet here it was, five times the sum he needed, laid before him by an elf.
For a moment, Aldric was paralyzed—not by gratitude, but by the realization of how profoundly he’d underestimated Ty, and everyone else around him. Since pledging himself to Pelagia, Aldric had been consumed by his singular mission to appease the goddess, to stave off her ceaseless torment. He’d reduced the world to a series of transactions, every relationship a tool to keep himself afloat for another day.
Ty had done this not out of obligation or fear or being tricked, but by something startlingly collegial. A thousand silver pieces—a pauper’s fortune to Aldric, but perhaps just metal discs to an elf. Yet, Ty surely knew their worth in human lands. Had Ty left Aldric to out to dry and kept the money for some more advantageous purpose, he wouldn't have blamed him. Whatever his reasons, the act was ... kind. And it stirred something in Aldric’s chest he hadn’t felt in a long time. It made him feel human.
"I thank you, Ty - truly," Aldric said, his voice hoarse but sincere.
A new resolve began to form in his mind. Perhaps Pelagia would always be his tormentor, but he didn’t need to sacrifice everything to her. His dignity, his self-worth—those could still be his to defend.
He dared not call Ty, Anora, or even Dufgal his friends. He hadn’t earned that right. He was, by his own admission, a cantankerous fool. But perhaps there was time to change that. Perhaps, before the end, he could prove himself worthy.
* - 100% curse moisture! Not urine this time! Probably!
Last edited January 9, 2025 5:07 am
Jan 9, 2025 6:03 am
Anora casts a bemused side eye over Aldric as the words catch in his throat. Then, pretending she hadn’t heard the exchange, she resumes her conversation with the barmaid.
"Only if there is a chance that we will make it inside. If the thing is doomed, do not open yourselves up to assault." she says, speaking practically about the topic of her own death. How had that happened? She had marched to this place for a piece of magical parchment, and now she stood before the gathered throng of Hirot’s finest and asked them to leave her to her fate if the beast came a-chasing!
"Only if there is a chance that we will make it inside. If the thing is doomed, do not open yourselves up to assault." she says, speaking practically about the topic of her own death. How had that happened? She had marched to this place for a piece of magical parchment, and now she stood before the gathered throng of Hirot’s finest and asked them to leave her to her fate if the beast came a-chasing!
Jan 9, 2025 1:54 pm
Is the priest... reaching out to Ty?
Is Aldric palpating him with his feeble mayfly limbs? Bobbing his mayfly antennae tenderly in Ty's direction, as if to signal a nascent bond between elf and insect? A fleeting friendship, measured by the hours of an autumn afternoon for a creature of centuries such as Tyravasiel-Llir?
For a moment Ty is simply bewildered. Then, uncomfortable. He shifts backwards on his feet and spends a moment adjusting his coarse blindfold where it bunches around the sides of his nose.
"You're welcome of course, holy father," the elf mutters. "Glory be to the goddess." There's a touch of pleading in his voice when he addresses Anora with, "So, Headwoman. What now?"
Is Aldric palpating him with his feeble mayfly limbs? Bobbing his mayfly antennae tenderly in Ty's direction, as if to signal a nascent bond between elf and insect? A fleeting friendship, measured by the hours of an autumn afternoon for a creature of centuries such as Tyravasiel-Llir?
For a moment Ty is simply bewildered. Then, uncomfortable. He shifts backwards on his feet and spends a moment adjusting his coarse blindfold where it bunches around the sides of his nose.
"You're welcome of course, holy father," the elf mutters. "Glory be to the goddess." There's a touch of pleading in his voice when he addresses Anora with, "So, Headwoman. What now?"
Jan 9, 2025 11:44 pm
"I must bring these coins, or at least 230 of them, to a body of water, to offer tribute and pay my sinner's tax. A terrible waste, but Pelagia demands this sacrifice to negate this curse she has place on my head. I believe there is a stream on the way to the tomb that should suffice, as all water leads back to the sea."
Jan 10, 2025 2:11 am
Dufgal waits for a moment when Aldric's attention is not on getting attention and whispers to him, "it may be wiser to do this tossin of coin private-like. That-a-way, none may be tempted to pick up 230 curses."
Jan 10, 2025 4:36 am
"Dufgal, as always, your counsel is wise."
He regards the hairy thegns ordered to accompany them with a suspicious eye.
"I will hang back and deposit the coins in secret, as you say."
He regards the hairy thegns ordered to accompany them with a suspicious eye.
"I will hang back and deposit the coins in secret, as you say."
Jan 10, 2025 5:42 am
To Aldric, "I’se keep both eyes on yer back, sir."
The stout but simple man meant it reassuringly even if his words and expression may fail in their delivery.
The stout but simple man meant it reassuringly even if his words and expression may fail in their delivery.
Jan 10, 2025 6:46 am
Dolsten
As the group sets off, it becomes clear that no Thegn seems intent on joining them. Ofenloch and Haedrick nod their well-wishes from the market square, and while a lot of other villagers seem more supportive with their back-pats, cheers, and blessings, none seem keen on venturing out of Hirot. Until one comes forward!
Lloré
"I will accompany you," he proclaims, casting the quickest of sidelong glances at Morgan to make sure she is witness to this bravery and his tiny man-bun.
"And record your exploits and adventures for all to later hear!"
OOC:
Just remembered someone wanted Lloré along for the ride, and it makes sense. Off we go!Jan 10, 2025 10:26 am
Anora takes the man in as he calls out and approaches. He had slipped away from his doom just the night before, had he not. She wondered if he would repeat that trick at her expense later today…
Yet her band of allies was thin enough. She would summon the witch, if she was not so bound by her rules and rituals. She was sure she could force the issue, if she so wanted, but knew she would pay doubly for it when the spell lifted!
"Lead on!" she simply says to the two Hirotians, waving them to walk before her!
Yet her band of allies was thin enough. She would summon the witch, if she was not so bound by her rules and rituals. She was sure she could force the issue, if she so wanted, but knew she would pay doubly for it when the spell lifted!
"Lead on!" she simply says to the two Hirotians, waving them to walk before her!
Jan 10, 2025 3:32 pm
With a slight raising of eyebrows and a little upward curl of his mouth, Dufgal tried to make a pleasant face at Lloré as he approached.
In his mind though, the thief felt guilty. His logic told him that one doesn’t dodge fate twice, so encouraging the skald to join them was entirely strategic. Dufgal had already been scheming a plan. When the hound moved in for the kill, that would give him its back. The burly man’s muscles could almost feel the squelching crunch of the warhammer piercing through to its lungs. It could work.
And yet, he didn’t dare telegraph his intention too soon. So, he did his best at smiling. Words failed him, so he left the awkward face to do its best.
In his mind though, the thief felt guilty. His logic told him that one doesn’t dodge fate twice, so encouraging the skald to join them was entirely strategic. Dufgal had already been scheming a plan. When the hound moved in for the kill, that would give him its back. The burly man’s muscles could almost feel the squelching crunch of the warhammer piercing through to its lungs. It could work.
And yet, he didn’t dare telegraph his intention too soon. So, he did his best at smiling. Words failed him, so he left the awkward face to do its best.
Last edited January 10, 2025 3:34 pm
Jan 10, 2025 8:17 pm
Aldric joins the procession to the tomb, hanging toward the back. When they get to the stream, he will indicate he needs to take a piss, and then go and deliver his silver penance to his goddess in private, hoping that Dufgal will run interference if somebody snoops about.
Jan 11, 2025 2:35 am
Tyravasiel meanders along with the group. He has no particular fondness for Hirot, nor for its people, apart from a half-formed notion of the use to which lovely Morgan Haverson might be put. The hound could devour them all this very night, and Ty would sleep soundly enough. No, he's joined the expedition out of hope for gain, coupled with a morbid curiosity about how this grim and tumultuous story will conclude. Or so he tells himself.
Making conversation, the elf comments, "I for one am heartened to have Lloré the skald with us. I'm told he has a bark that can put the demon dog to flight."
Making conversation, the elf comments, "I for one am heartened to have Lloré the skald with us. I'm told he has a bark that can put the demon dog to flight."
Last edited January 11, 2025 2:40 am
Jan 12, 2025 10:33 am
"Let us hope! If not that, then perhaps Lloré will share the trick to escaping the hound with your life! As a last resort, we may put that into practice!" she says, at an attempt at light-heartedness.
Jan 16, 2025 6:41 am
ACT 3
Exiting the village though it’s stout south gate, the small procession of adventurers winds their way east and then north, walking the edge of Hirot’s sharpened palisade wall. Outside that wall feels very different than in — the air seems colder, damper. The sunlight that filters through the trees seems weaker now than it had just moments before.
The woods north of the remote village are wet and rotten, full of glistening black mosses and green tangles of old man’s beard. Dead wood dominates, requiring a circuitous path forward as orange and white fungi seem to proliferate everywhere. Dolsten leads the way, grim-faced, serious, ever an eye on the sun.
Lloré’s spirits are brighter, and as they walk, he sings traditional songs of warmth and daring exploration taught to him by his grandfather. He also asks more than once for opinions on Morgan, and more specifically, what Morgan thought of him. As they approach a wetland, a wide and murky, slow-moving stream, the man answers Anora’s questions.
"There’s an old tale, a ballad, of The Ulfheonar and the Wolf. I only know fragments. But it told of wolves fearing the savage king and fleeing from his lands, even his tomb." He hesitates as they reach the black water’s edge, and smiles. "So that night — I hid in the wood within sight of the tomb we travel to now. And I was unbothered by the Hound…"
Exiting the village though it’s stout south gate, the small procession of adventurers winds their way east and then north, walking the edge of Hirot’s sharpened palisade wall. Outside that wall feels very different than in — the air seems colder, damper. The sunlight that filters through the trees seems weaker now than it had just moments before.
The woods north of the remote village are wet and rotten, full of glistening black mosses and green tangles of old man’s beard. Dead wood dominates, requiring a circuitous path forward as orange and white fungi seem to proliferate everywhere. Dolsten leads the way, grim-faced, serious, ever an eye on the sun.
Lloré
"There’s an old tale, a ballad, of The Ulfheonar and the Wolf. I only know fragments. But it told of wolves fearing the savage king and fleeing from his lands, even his tomb." He hesitates as they reach the black water’s edge, and smiles. "So that night — I hid in the wood within sight of the tomb we travel to now. And I was unbothered by the Hound…"
OOC:
Crossing the body of water will not be terribly easy or without discomfort. It looks knee-deep in most places, full of reeds and algae and black, bubbling muck. It’s about 100 yards across in most places, and very slow-moving.Jan 16, 2025 11:27 am
"Surely meaning that we ought to have brought the people of Hirot with us, so that they may be similarly unbothered." Anora says, not a little annoyed by the man’s chirpiness. The woman pulled her robes up in a bundle as she begins to steep in the muck and wet!
Jan 16, 2025 5:20 pm
Dufgal hangs back with Aldric at the end of the procession, planning to offer cover, distraction, or protection as needed for his penance ritual.
He takes his rope from his pack and ties it around his waist in a clove hitch knot. He hands one end to the Pelagian priest.
He takes his rope from his pack and ties it around his waist in a clove hitch knot. He hands one end to the Pelagian priest.
Jan 17, 2025 2:17 am
Ty quickens the pace at which he prods ahead of him with his cane, so that he'll be sure to detect the water's edge before he reaches it. The moment his tapping becomes splashing, the beggar pauses and cants an ear toward the sound.
"What is here before us?" he asks of no one in particular. "A river, or a rivulet?"
The elf pokes his 'cane' into the turbid water, to gauge its depth. "Dolsten!" he barks, as if he cannot tell that the Hirotian is standing right there. "Are we meant to cross here? This is the best way to the tomb?"
"What is here before us?" he asks of no one in particular. "A river, or a rivulet?"
The elf pokes his 'cane' into the turbid water, to gauge its depth. "Dolsten!" he barks, as if he cannot tell that the Hirotian is standing right there. "Are we meant to cross here? This is the best way to the tomb?"
Dolsten
Jan 17, 2025 7:11 am
Dolsten
"I did not say," he answers the elf right next to him, "that the way was easy. The way across is... here. This rock, to that one, and then to that log, and the one beyond..."
It is not an easy path Dolsten points out, and begins traversing, but it is better than just sloshing into the knee-deep water. "Follow me," the man says as he begins to make his way across.
OOC:
DC 10 AGI test to cross without getting wet or fully plunging in. If you fail, also make a Luck check. Take a +1d for a d24 on the AGI check since you're following someone who knows the way across...Jan 17, 2025 7:12 am
Aldric takes the rope from Dufgal with thanks, and ties it around himself as well. He enters the fast flowing water, and finally feels free of the invisible current he's been fighting against.
He quietly removes the 230 silver coins and places them in his hand as he mutters a prayer to the Bitch Queen.
"The fool who falls must learn to rise,
To face your storms and still survive.
Each bruise a lesson, each wave a guide,
To earn my place, I cast my pride."
He places the coins and lets them be carried away by the strong current. He gives Dufgal's shoulder a squeeze for his support.
He quietly removes the 230 silver coins and places them in his hand as he mutters a prayer to the Bitch Queen.
"The fool who falls must learn to rise,
To face your storms and still survive.
Each bruise a lesson, each wave a guide,
To earn my place, I cast my pride."
He places the coins and lets them be carried away by the strong current. He gives Dufgal's shoulder a squeeze for his support.
Jan 17, 2025 2:42 pm
Watching Dolsten’s choices as he navigates the crossing, Dufgal proceeds in kind.
Rolls
Dufgal: Agility - (1d24+1)
(11) + 1 = 12
Jan 18, 2025 5:22 am
Suppressing a sigh, Tyravasiel-Llir sets off across the fen in Dolsten's wake. Every few steps, he sounds ahead of himself with his cane to feel for any troughs or mires beneath the muddy surface. The elf keeps an ear cocked Dolsten's way, as if listening for the human's progress, but of course he's tracking their guide's course perfectly well through his blindfold.
OOC:
Well, that's a fine roll! Adding a Luck check...Last edited January 18, 2025 5:23 am
Rolls
Agility Check (+1) - (1d24+1)
(1) + 1 = 2
Luck Check (9-) - (1d20)
(5) = 5
Jan 18, 2025 10:54 am
"In safer times, you might appeal to the better nature of the people and ask them to place some timber’s out this way." Anora says, as she tries her best to follow along with the others.
Rolls
Agi - (1d24)
(16) = 16
Jan 18, 2025 9:52 pm
Before they attempt the crossing, Aldric makes his offering. While these fetid waters can hardly be described as rushing, the silver coins plip and plop into the water, only to be whisked away by a current that can only be described as greedy. Silver flashes in the dark water as the priest utters his prayers, and as the sea, so many leagues away, draws it home with a wanting tide.
The obscene weight of the ocean lifts from the waveborn man then... Pelagia's remonstration has faded, he can feel it.
The obscene weight of the ocean lifts from the waveborn man then... Pelagia's remonstration has faded, he can feel it.
OOC:
No more Disapproval! Also, lower that rating by 1, down to the base of 1!Jan 18, 2025 10:40 pm
Aldric remains in the freezing water, waiting to see if his prayers are answered. As he feels the weight of her scorn lift from his shoulders, he sighs a breath of relief. He continues on the the journey...
Uh, I guess the -4 does not matter anyway! :D :D :D I will roll luck I guess!
OOC:
As mentioned in the discord, I'm waiting to see if the payment of the silver reduces my -4 to ability checks! I'll roll a d20, and you can decide if you want to apply the -4 penalty. Oh wait, you answered that in the above post.Uh, I guess the -4 does not matter anyway! :D :D :D I will roll luck I guess!
Last edited January 18, 2025 10:43 pm
Rolls
AGI test! Maybe -4, maybe not! - (1d20+0)
(3) = 3
Luck (7) - (1d20)
(7) = 7
Jan 19, 2025 2:20 am
When the group is ready, Dolsten nods and leads the way across, using his walking stick to help with his balance...
OOC:
One more thing: please call out -explicitly- what you have in your packs. What you left at, say, the Wolf-Spear, vs. what is on your person. Treasure, spells, etc.Rolls
Dolsten - (1d24+1)
(18) + 1 = 19
Lloré - (1d24)
(24) = 24
Dolsten
Jan 19, 2025 2:30 am
The northbound adventures make their way quickly and easily across the slick stones and logs that comprise Dolsten's path across the water -- until Ty puts a foot wrong and slimy lichen sends him head-first into a deep pool of rank-smelling water. He swallows a mouthful of the stuff before he's able to right himself and slosh his way to the far bank, where he is helped from the water by his compatriots.
Soaked head to toe, the elf sputters as he gets his breath, then flinches as Dolsten knocks a few creatures from his back, his legs, and his hair. Loathsome, slug or leech-like worm things, seeking purchase on the man's tender flesh...
"These burrow," Dolsten says. "You don't want them on you."
Soaked head to toe, the elf sputters as he gets his breath, then flinches as Dolsten knocks a few creatures from his back, his legs, and his hair. Loathsome, slug or leech-like worm things, seeking purchase on the man's tender flesh...
Dolsten
OOC:
I see eight items in Ty's pack, plus his coin purse. Sound right?Jan 19, 2025 6:41 am
So much for the soft, prancing foot of the elves… Anora thinks, once the immediate danger to Ty has passed.
"Pelagia’s servants?" Anora asks to Aldric, upon seeing the writhing nastiness on Ty’s body!
"Pelagia’s servants?" Anora asks to Aldric, upon seeing the writhing nastiness on Ty’s body!
Jan 21, 2025 2:07 am
Aldric approaches Ty, pushing his way forward, guiding his progress with his oar. He meets him on the far bank. Putting his shield down, he checks the elf's skin for more leeches.
Aldric responds to Anora the Blue, "We are all Pelagia's servants, but not all yet know it. If you don't believe me, trying going without water for a few days."
Aldric responds to Anora the Blue, "We are all Pelagia's servants, but not all yet know it. If you don't believe me, trying going without water for a few days."
Jan 21, 2025 2:26 am
Ty sputters his way up to the bank. It is an effort of will to feign a blind man's ignorance of the repulsive parasites that Dolsten and Aldric are pulling off of him.
"These things? What things?" he queries, with just the right note of unease. "Masters, when you force a poor sightless soul like myself to find his own way across a bog, you must expect a spill or two..."
Once he's on solid ground, Tyravasiel un-slings his pack. He feels along the the flap's edge-- and checks it through his blindfold-- to make sure that the satchel hasn't come open during his plunge.
"These things? What things?" he queries, with just the right note of unease. "Masters, when you force a poor sightless soul like myself to find his own way across a bog, you must expect a spill or two..."
Once he's on solid ground, Tyravasiel un-slings his pack. He feels along the the flap's edge-- and checks it through his blindfold-- to make sure that the satchel hasn't come open during his plunge.
Last edited January 21, 2025 2:28 am
Jan 21, 2025 4:52 am
OOC:
The Price of Elven Hubris...Rolls
1 = Cane, 2-3 = pack, 4-6 = coins - (1d6)
(6) = 6
Copper - (1d20)
(3) = 3
Silver - (1d20)
(9) = 9
Gold - (1d20)
(3) = 3
Jan 21, 2025 5:36 am
Once the burrowing, loathsome, sucker-faced parasites are picked off the elf, he discovers that his pack did not spill its contents into the mire... but that a handful of the human, crudely-minted coins he'd been collecting fell from his purse and were lost to those dank waters.
AT THE TOMB OF THE ULFHEONAR (ALL)
Soon enough the troupe is ready to resume their trek, and with the waning sunlight a concern, Dolsten doubles his pace. Through the scrubby, boggy woods they go, past stunted pines and sickly-looking shrubs... until they finally come upon what must certainly be their destination. The forest breaks at the edge of a steep slope, revealing a narrow vale below. Set in the center of the valley is a large earthen mound topped with tall grasses and shaped like a long serpent.
At the edge of that clearing, Lloré waxes on about the place.
"The warlords of yore were buried in such places! See the head, there... that is surely the tomb! No one knows if the northern savage kings built these mounds, or merely found and used them, but..."
"Sensible people avoid this place and others like it," Dolsten interjects dourly.
"Many think they are haunted by hostile spirits, or twixt and mixt with the King of Elfland's eerie homelands."
Running along either side of the mound are a pair of slender, silvery streams; they meet in a sunlit, glittering pool near the serpent's head. And across that pool, set into the earthen mound there is a large, circular stone. It is difficult to tell from this distance, but it seems to be decorated with serpentine spirals worn by time.
AT THE TOMB OF THE ULFHEONAR (ALL)
Soon enough the troupe is ready to resume their trek, and with the waning sunlight a concern, Dolsten doubles his pace. Through the scrubby, boggy woods they go, past stunted pines and sickly-looking shrubs... until they finally come upon what must certainly be their destination. The forest breaks at the edge of a steep slope, revealing a narrow vale below. Set in the center of the valley is a large earthen mound topped with tall grasses and shaped like a long serpent.
Lloré
"The warlords of yore were buried in such places! See the head, there... that is surely the tomb! No one knows if the northern savage kings built these mounds, or merely found and used them, but..."
Dolsten
"Many think they are haunted by hostile spirits, or twixt and mixt with the King of Elfland's eerie homelands."
Running along either side of the mound are a pair of slender, silvery streams; they meet in a sunlit, glittering pool near the serpent's head. And across that pool, set into the earthen mound there is a large, circular stone. It is difficult to tell from this distance, but it seems to be decorated with serpentine spirals worn by time.
[ +- ] Map! The party is entering at the bottom, from the south...
Jan 21, 2025 9:34 am
Anora rolls her eyes at Aldric’s superstitions. Should the man go a few days without shitting, would he then bow and scrape before Pandantilus, God of the Privy?…
The woman had a self satisfied smirk on her face until they are once again greeted by water, and an opportunity for Aldric to give a sermon. She was thankful only for the fact that none of the Hirotian villagers were here to be swayed by the man.
"Are we not the most sensible people in Hirot?" Anora asks, including the rest in her own estimations of herself.
The woman had a self satisfied smirk on her face until they are once again greeted by water, and an opportunity for Aldric to give a sermon. She was thankful only for the fact that none of the Hirotian villagers were here to be swayed by the man.
"Are we not the most sensible people in Hirot?" Anora asks, including the rest in her own estimations of herself.
Jan 22, 2025 2:34 am
Ty stands at the top of the slope, contemplating the scene below.
If he could, the elf would shoot young Skald Lloré a healthy dose of side-eye. Is the human seriously suggesting that his ancestral kings simply chanced upon a mound shaped like a snake? Are earthworks in the forms of animals a common natural feature in this part of the country?
More puzzling is the spiral-carved stone that serves the tomb for a door. A door that seems to be closed. What became of the pillagers whom Dolsten sent this way to gather rare gifts for his love? They wouldn't have been so fastidious as to shut the door behind them.
"Is the tomb disturbed?" the beggar demands of those who can see. Hoping that his comrades will see the point of his question.
If he could, the elf would shoot young Skald Lloré a healthy dose of side-eye. Is the human seriously suggesting that his ancestral kings simply chanced upon a mound shaped like a snake? Are earthworks in the forms of animals a common natural feature in this part of the country?
More puzzling is the spiral-carved stone that serves the tomb for a door. A door that seems to be closed. What became of the pillagers whom Dolsten sent this way to gather rare gifts for his love? They wouldn't have been so fastidious as to shut the door behind them.
"Is the tomb disturbed?" the beggar demands of those who can see. Hoping that his comrades will see the point of his question.
Last edited January 22, 2025 2:35 am
Jan 22, 2025 4:53 am
"We are too far to tell, but there is one sure way find out."
Aldric recognizes the time is of the essence, and descends into the valley. He moves efficiently, free of Pelagia's invisible currents, and he charts a path that takes him directly to the pool. Once there, he'll gaze into the pond as its waters reflect the dying sun. If it seems safe, he will place his feet in its waters, as well as his oar, and begin to navigate it - the cleric of the water goddess seems like the obvious choice for this task. He uses his holy oar inscribed with Pelagia's thrice-rolling wave to press at the mud, checking for ground that is too soft to support his weight.
"Follow me, carefully!" he urges the others, as he whispers prayers to Pelagia for safe passage through these waters (Aldric ever the showman - he knows Pelagia doesn't likely care).
Once he gets to the door, he does not leave the pond until everyone has passed safely.
Aldric recognizes the time is of the essence, and descends into the valley. He moves efficiently, free of Pelagia's invisible currents, and he charts a path that takes him directly to the pool. Once there, he'll gaze into the pond as its waters reflect the dying sun. If it seems safe, he will place his feet in its waters, as well as his oar, and begin to navigate it - the cleric of the water goddess seems like the obvious choice for this task. He uses his holy oar inscribed with Pelagia's thrice-rolling wave to press at the mud, checking for ground that is too soft to support his weight.
"Follow me, carefully!" he urges the others, as he whispers prayers to Pelagia for safe passage through these waters (Aldric ever the showman - he knows Pelagia doesn't likely care).
Once he gets to the door, he does not leave the pond until everyone has passed safely.
Jan 22, 2025 7:04 am
Aldric had repeatedly shown that he was touched by the madness of the brilliant. At least, Dufgal was convinced. He followed very closely, ready to grasp him should anything leap out to him.
Jan 22, 2025 8:19 am
THE TOMB OF THE ULFHEONAR (ALL)
Aldric at least descends, and Dufgal with him. At the top of that slope they climb down from, Dolsten and Lloré do not look terribly interested in going down into the valley, let alone into the tomb of some long dead savage king.
"We'll wait here," Dolsten says quietly to Anora and the blind beggar.
"I've not the heart to brave such places anymore. Once, perhaps. But not now."
"And I'll stay with him, to keep him company," Lloré said lightly.
The man had a poem, nay, a ballad to write about a certain barmaid, and it would do well to craft and sing it where no one else was listening. Well, save for Dolston, but he hardly counted.
Down the hill, Aldric is first to the edge of the water, the pool formed by the two converging rivulets. The water glitters like silver in the early evening sun, brightened by white sand deposited by the streams, and by what must be a high mica content suspended in the water.
Testing those waters, Aldric found them only a foot deep, sparkling and cool. Dufgal joined him, and as the two men made their sloshing way towards the entrance, some ten paces away, they noted two things.
First, the door ahead of them looked heavy, and like it was the sort to be rolled out of the way -- it is circular, and there is no set of hinges or even a proper door frame. It does not look to have been disturbed recently. Second, they both spot something in the water. A bundle or sack, bound up with leather, then another... and another. Four in all they can see, waterlogged parcels of some kind.
Aldric at least descends, and Dufgal with him. At the top of that slope they climb down from, Dolsten and Lloré do not look terribly interested in going down into the valley, let alone into the tomb of some long dead savage king.
Dolsten
"I've not the heart to brave such places anymore. Once, perhaps. But not now."
Lloré
The man had a poem, nay, a ballad to write about a certain barmaid, and it would do well to craft and sing it where no one else was listening. Well, save for Dolston, but he hardly counted.
Down the hill, Aldric is first to the edge of the water, the pool formed by the two converging rivulets. The water glitters like silver in the early evening sun, brightened by white sand deposited by the streams, and by what must be a high mica content suspended in the water.
Testing those waters, Aldric found them only a foot deep, sparkling and cool. Dufgal joined him, and as the two men made their sloshing way towards the entrance, some ten paces away, they noted two things.
First, the door ahead of them looked heavy, and like it was the sort to be rolled out of the way -- it is circular, and there is no set of hinges or even a proper door frame. It does not look to have been disturbed recently. Second, they both spot something in the water. A bundle or sack, bound up with leather, then another... and another. Four in all they can see, waterlogged parcels of some kind.
OOC:
Anora and Ty can accompany if they like, just didn't want to presume.Jan 22, 2025 12:49 pm
"Careful you don’t make yourselves easy targets for the hound." Anora warns the two men, before descending down the slope towards the sturdy tomb. That door would at least allow Anora enough time to chant a final spell, should Dufgal and Aldric get it closed against the hound.
A final spell, and then…
"These look to be nicer waters." Anora admits, as she joins the two below! She casts a wary eye over the strange packages.
"Dufgal, can you reach those… offerings!" the last word is as much a question as anything else!
A final spell, and then…
"These look to be nicer waters." Anora admits, as she joins the two below! She casts a wary eye over the strange packages.
"Dufgal, can you reach those… offerings!" the last word is as much a question as anything else!
Last edited January 22, 2025 12:50 pm
Jan 22, 2025 3:52 pm
A quiet peace settles over Aldric as the sparkling water cools his feet. Though he despises and fears his bond to Pelagia, being reborn of the waves had reshaped him. Now, the water felt like home, lending him a soft sense of height and hidden power. This pond, somehow linked to the vast ocean, breathes strength into him with each gentle ripple. Unusual for Aldric, he decides to lean into this power rather than recoil from it, expecting the tomb before them to present formidable challenges.
Still standing in the water, he raises his oar and shield, both inscribed with the thrice-rolling wave, Pelagia's holy symbol. He chants words of power to bring forth the gift of supernatural senses.
Still standing in the water, he raises his oar and shield, both inscribed with the thrice-rolling wave, Pelagia's holy symbol. He chants words of power to bring forth the gift of supernatural senses.
OOC:
Casting Detect Evil ... nope. Disapproval++Last edited January 22, 2025 3:53 pm
Rolls
Detect Evil ... ? - (1d20+2)
(5) + 2 = 7
Jan 22, 2025 5:14 pm
Dutiful Dufgal, hearing the prompt from the Lady to whom he had been contracted, reaches his free hand to grasp the nearest drowned satchel.
OOC:
Can he reach it with only a forearm getting wet? Can he lift it one-handed? Should he have checked for traps first? Will he learn the ways of skilled thieves? Will he learn the easy way or the Harrigan way?Last edited January 22, 2025 5:16 pm
Jan 23, 2025 6:10 am
Aldric is just too far from the ocean, too far from the cold breast of his goddess to call upon her foamy, frothy powers. Or... is it more than that?
But back at the crossing, near where Aldric made the offering... precisely where Ty had fallen in... Pelagia's watery agents find an additional offering. More than was required of the peculiar priest... who was, after all, hunting a moon-spawned devil-wolf. Gold and silver, and copper too tumbles and flashes along, born by that covetous current. But the ocean gives as well as takes, the tides draw out... and come back in, bringing with them an ichthyic bounty...
Dufgal reaches into the water, almost elbow deep, to retrieve one of the bundles. When he draws it out of the water, the rotten thing starts to come apart in his hands. Scraps of old hide, black and disintegrating, fall into the water from the man's grasping hands. He finds himself holding the contents of what must have once been a bag or pack: an ancient-looking, pitted and nicked sword of bronze... a handful of crude coins of tin and bronze... and a skull. The latter is waterlogged and heavy, soft and spongy and pungent. The bone is split on top, perhaps the injury that killed the man, woman, or whatever this was.
But back at the crossing, near where Aldric made the offering... precisely where Ty had fallen in... Pelagia's watery agents find an additional offering. More than was required of the peculiar priest... who was, after all, hunting a moon-spawned devil-wolf. Gold and silver, and copper too tumbles and flashes along, born by that covetous current. But the ocean gives as well as takes, the tides draw out... and come back in, bringing with them an ichthyic bounty...
Dufgal reaches into the water, almost elbow deep, to retrieve one of the bundles. When he draws it out of the water, the rotten thing starts to come apart in his hands. Scraps of old hide, black and disintegrating, fall into the water from the man's grasping hands. He finds himself holding the contents of what must have once been a bag or pack: an ancient-looking, pitted and nicked sword of bronze... a handful of crude coins of tin and bronze... and a skull. The latter is waterlogged and heavy, soft and spongy and pungent. The bone is split on top, perhaps the injury that killed the man, woman, or whatever this was.
OOC:
Pelagic enjoyed the extra coins. +1 Luck, everyone!Jan 23, 2025 8:05 am
The thief has no issue handling the dead. His sense of the way of the world is grounded and simple. Whatever bones are left behind are transformed by time and no longer the same as when they were inside holding up a human. Whoever left them here is long gone. At least that’s what he believes. He unceremoniously tosses the damp booty to the shore and rifles through the other three satchels.
Jan 23, 2025 4:15 pm
Standing sideways, feeling ahead with his cane, Tyravasiel eases his way down the slope after the others. At Anora's mention of waters, he blurts, "Another fen? May Pelagia protect her benighted servant!"
This bit of theater is for the benefit of the Hirotians lingering on the level ground above. Once they are out of earshot, the elf shifts his attention to Dufgal and the sodden, rotten packs before the tomb's entrance.
"Might these be the remains of Dolsten's would-be tomb robbers?" he inquires softly of the others. "If so, we must be wary of that door stone."
This bit of theater is for the benefit of the Hirotians lingering on the level ground above. Once they are out of earshot, the elf shifts his attention to Dufgal and the sodden, rotten packs before the tomb's entrance.
"Might these be the remains of Dolsten's would-be tomb robbers?" he inquires softly of the others. "If so, we must be wary of that door stone."
Last edited January 23, 2025 4:16 pm
Jan 23, 2025 4:22 pm
Trying to find Ty’s actual eyes to look at while talking to him, Dufgal replies agreeably, "That door ain’t been moved in ages. I’se figurin there’s anotha way in"
Jan 24, 2025 4:55 am
Dufgal retrieves the other old, mostly rotten packs easily enough, and he discovers they have very similar contents: worthless coins or tokens, pitted bronze blades, and old, soft skulls -- each showing signs that they were split by what must have been a killing blow.
The thief is not wrong about the door; green with moss and lichen, it does not look like it has been moved in an age. It is not so large, though, that a pair or three of them couldn't budge it, perhaps rolling it to the side.
The thief is not wrong about the door; green with moss and lichen, it does not look like it has been moved in an age. It is not so large, though, that a pair or three of them couldn't budge it, perhaps rolling it to the side.
OOC:
Add anything to your inventory that you're taking, btw.Jan 24, 2025 12:22 pm
"Not torn apart by the hound by the looks of those blows." Anora remarks, at the split skulls!
She moves to place a hand on the door and looks expectantly at the three men sent to accompany her!
"Let us be the ones to open it then. Time is of the essence here!" she reminds them, knowing they have little time to entertain superstition!
She moves to place a hand on the door and looks expectantly at the three men sent to accompany her!
"Let us be the ones to open it then. Time is of the essence here!" she reminds them, knowing they have little time to entertain superstition!
Jan 24, 2025 3:05 pm
Used to being ignored at home, Dufgal felt an ironic twinge of nostalgia. He had developed fairly good instincts about human behavior and the risks of ignore-ance. However, his current situation has been quite distinct. So here he was in a pickle. Should he rely on his intuition honed from his past OR learn to lean into the different nuances of his present?
He wrinkled his nose and stepped forward, tossing the remaining watery grave loot aside. "Uh, Lady, you’se best let me do that for ye."
And he takes up a position where he can get the best grip.
He wrinkled his nose and stepped forward, tossing the remaining watery grave loot aside. "Uh, Lady, you’se best let me do that for ye."
And he takes up a position where he can get the best grip.
Jan 25, 2025 4:28 am
The elf casts an uneasy glance at the packs Dufgal has tossed aside, moldering there in the silvery water. Beneath the blindfold, his gaze shifts to where Anora now stands with her imperious hand upon the door.
Well. Touching the spiral stone hasn't killed her, anyway. Yet.
With a little sigh-- offered up to the Fates with whom his life has been an endless and cutthroat negotiation-- Tyravasiel sloshes across to the door. He shoves his cane into the strap of his pack, then turns to lend his shoulder-- and such weight as he possesses-- to the effort.
Well. Touching the spiral stone hasn't killed her, anyway. Yet.
With a little sigh-- offered up to the Fates with whom his life has been an endless and cutthroat negotiation-- Tyravasiel sloshes across to the door. He shoves his cane into the strap of his pack, then turns to lend his shoulder-- and such weight as he possesses-- to the effort.
Jan 25, 2025 4:39 am
Aldric leaves the mundane heaving and shoving of stones to his allies while he continues to try to draw upon Pelagia's spirtual power.As Pelagia's blessing takes hold of his mind, he witnesses the light shift, as though someone had submerged it. The golden light of the setting sun fades, replaced by a pale, diffused glow that made everything seem distant, dreamlike. The once-sharp edges of the ancient tomb and the glittering pond begin to blur, objects appearing to shimmer as if viewed through a layer of rippling water.
OOC:
I'll burn 2 luck to being that up to a 14. Luck now at 6.Quote:
Creatures of opposed alignment are automatically detected, as well as objects inherently dangerous in nature (such as traps and cursed weapons). Evil creatures do not receive a Will save to remain undetected.Last edited January 25, 2025 5:05 am
Rolls
Detect Evil ... ? - (1d20+2)
(10) + 2 = 12
Jan 25, 2025 6:02 am
Pelagia graces her waveborn priest with rippling truesight as Anora, Ty, and Dufgal position themselves around the old, circular stone. They are out of the water and dripping as they put their hands on the cold, weathered disc, but Aldric is knee-deep in the stuff as his senses waver and bristle.
It's the water. There is something about the water... it is not evil, but it is dangerous... protective. As his companions bend their backs, the stone shifts and grates in that deeply resonant way that only heavy stone can... and another sentiment overwhelms the Witness. That of give and take. Of... reciprocity.
It's the water. There is something about the water... it is not evil, but it is dangerous... protective. As his companions bend their backs, the stone shifts and grates in that deeply resonant way that only heavy stone can... and another sentiment overwhelms the Witness. That of give and take. Of... reciprocity.
OOC:
6 Turns left for Detect EvilJan 25, 2025 6:20 am
"WAIT!" Aldric bellows, his voice thrumming with an otherworldly resonance. "Pelagia stands with me, now... My eyes pierce the feeble veil of this world... An offering must be made before the tomb is breached ..."
Last edited January 25, 2025 6:21 am
Jan 25, 2025 11:19 am
If looks could kill, Anora would have cut Aldric in two.
"By all means, you and your Pelagia can stand there in the wet muck!" she says, as if the woman was standing their alongside the priest at that very moment.
"We are trying to make some tangible gains before nightfall, rather than advancing the cause of some deity whose domain couldn’t be farther from here if she tried!"
Then the woman becomes flippant:
"This steam here? Is that it? The Sea Bitch wants… what? Our waters? Would she like us to drop our garments and piss yellow before the tomb? Or would she take our silver?"
Then the woman fetches up her own purse! Ninety six silver pieces lay within.
"No! It’s always the silver when it comes to the righteous!" she says, hysterical now! She fishes out five silver and tosses them into the stream!
"Will that silence the wailing of the water wench? Might we go forth?"
"By all means, you and your Pelagia can stand there in the wet muck!" she says, as if the woman was standing their alongside the priest at that very moment.
"We are trying to make some tangible gains before nightfall, rather than advancing the cause of some deity whose domain couldn’t be farther from here if she tried!"
Then the woman becomes flippant:
"This steam here? Is that it? The Sea Bitch wants… what? Our waters? Would she like us to drop our garments and piss yellow before the tomb? Or would she take our silver?"
Then the woman fetches up her own purse! Ninety six silver pieces lay within.
"No! It’s always the silver when it comes to the righteous!" she says, hysterical now! She fishes out five silver and tosses them into the stream!
"Will that silence the wailing of the water wench? Might we go forth?"
Jan 25, 2025 3:02 pm
Stepping from the water onto the small patch of land before the entrance, Aldric pauses, allowing Anora to drop her coins and wag her tongue.
"Trying to usurp the Bitch Queen's throne, are you? You should be grateful no curse from this tomb has taken hold! Such disrespect to the dead rarely goes unpunished!"
With those words, Aldric studies the waters again, checking if the danger has truly passed.
"Trying to usurp the Bitch Queen's throne, are you? You should be grateful no curse from this tomb has taken hold! Such disrespect to the dead rarely goes unpunished!"
With those words, Aldric studies the waters again, checking if the danger has truly passed.
Last edited January 25, 2025 3:09 pm
Jan 25, 2025 3:17 pm
The five scattered coins plop into the shimmering, sunlit waters. Aldric does not have to concentrate to know that danger still lurks...
Turns Until Sunset: 15
OOC:
And okay, let's go old-school with the time tracking. I said three hours of sunlight remains when you set out for the tomb. That's 18 turns. One turn to get to the marshy stream, one to make the offering and cross, one to then reach the tomb. As you arrived and looked down at the serpent mound, 15 turns remained until sunset. You're ticking down towards 14 now.Turns Until Sunset: 15
Jan 25, 2025 3:49 pm
"The danger isn't gone," Aldric murmurs, voice low and foreboding. "Every satchel Dufgal dragged from the water held the same contents: a sword, a few coins, and a skull. They must have been offerings to the tomb, sacrifices demanded by whatever power lurks here. Anora has given the coin. Now we need a blade… and a skull."
Jan 25, 2025 4:11 pm
Not sure if he understands what’s happening nor why everyone is looking at him, Dufgal hopes they mean for him to procure the blade. He wrestles his spear from its bindings and holds it across his his outstretched hands like a serving tray. He sees the eyes hinting at the water and then he tosses it in with as much reverence as he can muster.
Last edited January 25, 2025 4:14 pm
Jan 25, 2025 6:09 pm
"Obviously we don't have a skull," Ty replies peevishly.
For he is aware of something vaguely like a skull, lurking in the confines of his travel pack: a delicate child's crown, fashioned of silver and chased with platinum. The thing might cost a fortune in the coins that humans hoard like the clever squirrels they are; more importantly, it might be connected to some fanciful tale that would delight Tyravasiel's own people, and therefore serve as a worthy memento or object d'art. But the little group has nothing else even approaching a human head-- at least, not one disconnected from a human body.
The elf shifts his gaze up-slope and spends a few terrible, quiet moments contemplating the Skald Lloré. Would it be so awful...? After all, the man is a sort of rival for Morgan Haverson's affections, even if Ty's interest in the maid is thoroughly different from the skald's. But no... Dolsten would surely object, and even Tyravasiel's human comrades might quail at bald-faced murder.
Even the murder of a bard.
With a sigh, and muttering something the sounds vaguely like, "Maybe this will serve," Ty rummages in his pack and produces the crown. He stares at it for a moment, as if bidding the pretty little thing farewell, and then drops it into the glittering water.
For he is aware of something vaguely like a skull, lurking in the confines of his travel pack: a delicate child's crown, fashioned of silver and chased with platinum. The thing might cost a fortune in the coins that humans hoard like the clever squirrels they are; more importantly, it might be connected to some fanciful tale that would delight Tyravasiel's own people, and therefore serve as a worthy memento or object d'art. But the little group has nothing else even approaching a human head-- at least, not one disconnected from a human body.
The elf shifts his gaze up-slope and spends a few terrible, quiet moments contemplating the Skald Lloré. Would it be so awful...? After all, the man is a sort of rival for Morgan Haverson's affections, even if Ty's interest in the maid is thoroughly different from the skald's. But no... Dolsten would surely object, and even Tyravasiel's human comrades might quail at bald-faced murder.
Even the murder of a bard.
With a sigh, and muttering something the sounds vaguely like, "Maybe this will serve," Ty rummages in his pack and produces the crown. He stares at it for a moment, as if bidding the pretty little thing farewell, and then drops it into the glittering water.
Jan 25, 2025 6:30 pm
Aldric leaves the number of skulls within a sword's reach unspoken. He nods to Ty as he tosses the crown in the glittering water, and regards the still waters for signs of danger. Privately, he wonders what the story is behind the small crown, and what other treasures the faux beggar has in his possession.
Jan 25, 2025 6:42 pm
Aldric feels a stirring in the spring when Dufgal unceremoniously dumps his spear into the water, and when Ty steps forward and offers the crown... all witness the result.
Silvery waters rush and swirl, bubbling, foaming -- forming. Out of that effervescence rises a watery serpent, drawing up fifteen feet in height! It's body shimmers and roils, its massive jaws part... but the thing does not surge forward to attack, nor move to guard the tomb against these looters in any fashion.
They have satisfied the guardian, and as they watch, shocked by the thing's sudden appearance, it sinks back into the waters, disappearing.
Silvery waters rush and swirl, bubbling, foaming -- forming. Out of that effervescence rises a watery serpent, drawing up fifteen feet in height! It's body shimmers and roils, its massive jaws part... but the thing does not surge forward to attack, nor move to guard the tomb against these looters in any fashion.
They have satisfied the guardian, and as they watch, shocked by the thing's sudden appearance, it sinks back into the waters, disappearing.
[ +- ] The Guardian
Jan 25, 2025 7:36 pm
After the serpent subsides, Aldric gestures to Anora and says, with the biggest, self-satisfied smirk, "You may go forth."
Jan 25, 2025 8:01 pm
After the dramatic, yet impotent display from the guardian, Dufgal sets his mind and muscle to the task of heavy lifting. He positions himself in the key position and makes room for Ty and Anora to lend their strength. With a deep breath and an audible huff as a cue, the burly Dufgal shoves the stone with all his might. Only needing enough room to grant passage single file, it suffices to move the massive stone just five feet to one side where it can rest against the tomb’s structure.
Satisfied, Dufgal rinses off his hands in the water demonstrating his goldfish memory. The thought of a fifteen foot tall serpent had already swum through his mind.
Satisfied, Dufgal rinses off his hands in the water demonstrating his goldfish memory. The thought of a fifteen foot tall serpent had already swum through his mind.
Jan 25, 2025 8:41 pm
Tyravasiel looks from the silvery serpent stream-- quiescent once more-- to the Pelagian priest. When Aldric gives Anora the Blue leave to proceed, the elf can't help grinning beneath his blindfold at the smug look on the human's face. The blind clever squirrel has found his nut!
Ty then returns to shoving on the door stone, along with Dufgal.
Ty then returns to shoving on the door stone, along with Dufgal.
Jan 25, 2025 8:48 pm
When the others lend their strength, a few grunts and grimaces are required to roll the heavy stone out of the way. Careful to not roll it too far or let it tumble down into the water, the adventurers leave the thing in a state such that the tomb can again be resealed. Inside? A passage, dark as Dufgal's bowels, and smelling as bad. The day's diminishing sunlight reveals that stone slabs line the walls and low ceiling... and that tight spiral designs are etched on the undersides of the roof stones, much like those on the outside door.
The air inside is still and rank and cool; puddles of water have pooled on the hard-packed earthen floor. The tunnel appears to continue for twenty or thirty feet at least, fading into the gloom.
Detect Evil Turns Remaining: 5
Turns Until Sunset: 14
The air inside is still and rank and cool; puddles of water have pooled on the hard-packed earthen floor. The tunnel appears to continue for twenty or thirty feet at least, fading into the gloom.
OOC:
You'll need light if you don't want to go in blind. Let me know the order you're in, etc. The passage is 10' wide.Detect Evil Turns Remaining: 5
Turns Until Sunset: 14
Jan 26, 2025 9:17 am
Dufgal, seeing how dark the inside of the tomb is, takes out his fire starter kit and a torch. Once the sparks hit the tinder, the flame takes quickly and the tomb is illuminated. He steps in and looks down the tunnel. He feels a chill. He makes room for the next one through before moving inward any farther.
OOC:
The thief will go first.Last edited January 26, 2025 9:18 am
Jan 26, 2025 1:43 pm
Anora catches Aldric’s look, and barbs:
"Given how fickle your mistress is, I have no doubt but that the serpent would have taken you first!"
The sea bitch was a good deal less loyal towards Aldric than Aldric was towards she!
"Given how fickle your mistress is, I have no doubt but that the serpent would have taken you first!"
The sea bitch was a good deal less loyal towards Aldric than Aldric was towards she!
Jan 26, 2025 4:23 pm
Tyravasiel peers down the darkened passage, trying to make out any important details with his superior elf eyes. He catches a glimpse of some sort of chamber at the end of the corridor, but the glare from Dufgal's torch quickly puts paid to any further study. The beggar casts an annoyed look at his fellow-- visible only as a thinning of the lips beneath his blindfold-- but does not comment.
Instead, he unwinds the leather wrapping from his 'cane' to reveal that it is, in fact, a javelin. Its shank is fashioned of some bright, strange metal that is neither steel, nor silver, nor electrum, but shows aspects of all these alloys. Ty stuffs the long strip of leather into his pack, then shifts his grip on the javelin's shaft, holding it now like a weapon and not the blind man's crutch it has seemed to be.
"The corridor ends at a chamber, not far away," the elf declares. He steps up beside Dufgal, ready to proceed in the first rank.
Instead, he unwinds the leather wrapping from his 'cane' to reveal that it is, in fact, a javelin. Its shank is fashioned of some bright, strange metal that is neither steel, nor silver, nor electrum, but shows aspects of all these alloys. Ty stuffs the long strip of leather into his pack, then shifts his grip on the javelin's shaft, holding it now like a weapon and not the blind man's crutch it has seemed to be.
"The corridor ends at a chamber, not far away," the elf declares. He steps up beside Dufgal, ready to proceed in the first rank.
Jan 26, 2025 5:04 pm
The man from Garion’s Folly perceived not the annoyance from Ty, but the shift in demeanor as the elf transformed his mere walking stick into a weapon of war. Dufgal felt a twinge of twin feelings; fear and admiration. And then an embarrassment came over him as he realized that the elf’s blindfold was more than fabric. This descendant of the fae was shrouded in mystique. The thief gave himself permission to stare as if he had forgotten the elf could actually see. The temptation to strike up light conversation was mounting yet the context interrupted his thinking. The thief shook it off and began to step forward.
Jan 26, 2025 6:55 pm
Most of them ducking slightly to avoid the low ceiling of the stone-lined passage, the four adventurers begin their delve, with Dufgal leading the way with his torch. Beside him, Ty is armed with a slim, dangerous-looking javelin that he has otherwise kept hidden this entire time. Anora and Aldric bring up the rear as they quietly and carefully move forward, and after forty feet of so of traversing the dank, damp passage, the corridor opens to a wider, but still low-ceilinged chamber. The stone slab floor slopes down steeply from all four walls, falling away into a dark pit in the center of the chamber.
The air is cool, and the torchlight reveals both that the walls glimmer with condensation, and that the sloping floor in the center of the roughly 30' x 30' chamber is slick with green and brown slime. Another stone-lined corridor continues on to the north past this chamber; shadows and Ty's enhanced sight suggest there might be stairs forking left and right off that passage.
The air is cool, and the torchlight reveals both that the walls glimmer with condensation, and that the sloping floor in the center of the roughly 30' x 30' chamber is slick with green and brown slime. Another stone-lined corridor continues on to the north past this chamber; shadows and Ty's enhanced sight suggest there might be stairs forking left and right off that passage.
OOC:
The ceiling is about 6' tall. Feel free to hit me with questions in the Discord, and when you post, please be clear about what you're holding in your hands if it's not already evident. The floor sloping to a pit opening in the middle of this chamber can be avoided if you keep to the edge of the room, skirting it. Provided you're moving slowly and carefully, no roll required to move into the northern passage.[ +- ] After Exploring the Chamber (C3)
Detect Evil Turns Remaining: 4
Turns Until Sunset: 13
Turns Until Sunset: 13
Jan 27, 2025 12:54 am
Dufgal wonders if they should all go single file or would the elf peel off and go right if he went left. He started left, inching forward by shuffling his feet and feeling the wall with his free hand. In his right hand, he extended the torch to give him the best view of the way ahead.
OOC:
Dufgal will have strapped the warhammer to his back where the spear once was. Nothing else in his hands but the torch. He will continue in this manner all the way to the northern passage. Last edited January 27, 2025 12:54 am
Jan 27, 2025 1:25 am
OOC:
If not clear, btw -- the dashed line is the floor sloping sharply down to the hole at the bottom. Think of it like you're walking around the top of a funnel.Jan 27, 2025 1:29 am
As she’s about to slip beneath the doorway, Anora looks back up at the two men who had guided them here. How telling that they didn’t feel the need to participate in their own salvation…
She pulls her sword then, thinking it best to be armed similar to her fellows and slips beneath the doorway!
"Dufgal, you have the surest foot! We should avoid the center!" Anora says from her place at the rear! Pelagia knows that’s waiting in the muck below!
She pulls her sword then, thinking it best to be armed similar to her fellows and slips beneath the doorway!
"Dufgal, you have the surest foot! We should avoid the center!" Anora says from her place at the rear! Pelagia knows that’s waiting in the muck below!
Jan 27, 2025 1:43 am
As Dufgal goes left, Ty works his way slowly around the right side of the chamber. He keeps his back to the wall, and his javelin held low in one hand before him. If he starts to slide, he'll jab the point against the floor in order to brace himself.
OOC:
I have a question! We've seen the monster hound. Do we think that it could navigate the edge of this room without sliding into the pit, or would the creature be too large? One of the things we're trying to figure out is whether this place could plausibly be its lair.Last edited January 27, 2025 1:53 am
Jan 27, 2025 2:14 am
Quote:
"Given how fickle your mistress is, I have no doubt but that the serpent would have taken you first!"Aldric follows behind Ty. Aldric knew the man was an elf, and he knew he was not blind, but the fact that his cane was in fact a marvellous weapon of some strange, fae metal was a surprise. A welcome one, though - they needed all the martial advantages they could gather.
Aldric wasn't afraid of entering the tomb, exactly, but neither was he feeling very confident about it. This day felt like it had been going on for months, and felt like he could sleep for a hundred years. But, there wasn't much to do about it. Once you've got a task to do, it's better to do it than live with the fear of it.
Aldric tries to extend his senses in all directions, making maximum use of his Detection of Evil dweomer across all the surfaces of the corridors.
OOC:
Aldric holds his oar and his shield in his hands.Jan 27, 2025 6:43 am
With only one torch lighting the way, shadows stretch and shift as the quartet moves carefully, deeper into the tomb.
Tyravasiel-Llir wonders about the Hound's ability to lair in the tomb, and to step around this sloping floor. Certainly, the monster could clear its span in a single leap... but the thought has Ty examining the floor in the passage leading to the entrance they just came in. There are tracks -- many of them. Huge, misshapen paw-prints... and as Ty looks back at the entrance, he sees on the back-side of the stone portal not just the same strange spiral patterns they have seen elsewhere but also deep scratches, like the beast was furiously trying to claw its way out...
Tyravasiel-Llir wonders about the Hound's ability to lair in the tomb, and to step around this sloping floor. Certainly, the monster could clear its span in a single leap... but the thought has Ty examining the floor in the passage leading to the entrance they just came in. There are tracks -- many of them. Huge, misshapen paw-prints... and as Ty looks back at the entrance, he sees on the back-side of the stone portal not just the same strange spiral patterns they have seen elsewhere but also deep scratches, like the beast was furiously trying to claw its way out...
Jan 27, 2025 6:47 am
OOC:
Quote:
Anora says from her place at the rear! Pelagia knows that’s waiting in the muck below!Jan 27, 2025 7:25 am
Anora shimmies in behind the rest, carefully crossing the dark, flickering room! She follows the light, as so follows in the steps of Dufgal and goes left!
She ignores the cleric, and his odd relationship with Pelagia! She would have the advantage at a later time… she hoped!
She ignores the cleric, and his odd relationship with Pelagia! She would have the advantage at a later time… she hoped!
Last edited January 27, 2025 7:25 am
Jan 28, 2025 4:29 am
Edging around the pit, Ty looks back the way they've come.
"A large animal came through here," he observes. "There are tracks."
The elf pushes his blindfold up onto his forehead, revealing pure green eyes that glitter like uncut emeralds by the frail light of Dufgal's torch. He narrows them, peers back into the gloom of the corridor they've traversed.
"Look there, on the door stone," Ty murmurs, waving a hand at shadows. "Scratches, as if something were trying to get out."
"A large animal came through here," he observes. "There are tracks."
The elf pushes his blindfold up onto his forehead, revealing pure green eyes that glitter like uncut emeralds by the frail light of Dufgal's torch. He narrows them, peers back into the gloom of the corridor they've traversed.
"Look there, on the door stone," Ty murmurs, waving a hand at shadows. "Scratches, as if something were trying to get out."
Jan 28, 2025 5:10 am
As nothing of consequence happens as he carefully crosses the room’s edges, Dufgal makes it to the opposite opening. He inches forward to glimpse the first stair on the right. He stops, he looks, he listens.
Jan 28, 2025 6:58 am
As Ty rejoins Dufgal, the pair lead the way forward as the whole group it careful to step around the sloping, hungry-seeming floor. The thief's torch reveals that the main corridor, still ten feet wide, continues north at least to the edge of the torchlight.
The light reveals more and more of the musty tomb, and the group sees the stairs on their immediate right descend into darkness before jogging and continuing to the south. Ahead, on the left are another set of steps -- but they look less steep than the set Dufgal and Ty linger near. Beyond that, the group spots another narrow passage splitting off the east...
OOC:
Party is at the "P" in the triagle.The light reveals more and more of the musty tomb, and the group sees the stairs on their immediate right descend into darkness before jogging and continuing to the south. Ahead, on the left are another set of steps -- but they look less steep than the set Dufgal and Ty linger near. Beyond that, the group spots another narrow passage splitting off the east...
Jan 28, 2025 8:21 am
Delegating once again, Anora calls out:
"Tyravasiel, you have the keenest eyes. Which way would you have us go? I can see scarcely any further than the light in my face!"
The wizardess can feel her cheeks reddening from being so close to the intense heat!
"Tyravasiel, you have the keenest eyes. Which way would you have us go? I can see scarcely any further than the light in my face!"
The wizardess can feel her cheeks reddening from being so close to the intense heat!
Jan 28, 2025 3:30 pm
Dufgal, not wholly understanding the gift of sight bestowed upon the elves, lifts his torch even higher to "help" Ty see what Anora is requesting.
Jan 28, 2025 6:06 pm
OOC:
Thanks Dufgal! GM, are there tracks on this side of the pit room as well? If so, do they head towards (or come from) one of the stairways or corridors rather than the others?Jan 29, 2025 7:40 am
Peering at the floor in the torchlight, Ty unfortunately sees many tracks, though they are faint. They go deeper into the tomb, they go down one set of stairs and up again. They look to descend that second set of steps... it looks to the elf like the beast was all over, perhaps pacing, looking for a way out.
OOC:
I keep forgetting about Aldric's spell! He can sense something dangerous in the pit... and something malevolent deeper in the tomb, ahead.[ +- ] Time
Detect Evil Turns Remaining: 4
Turns Until Sunset: 13
Turns Until Sunset: 13
Jan 30, 2025 2:26 am
"There is a malevolence here ... " Aldric whispers to his fellow tomb robbers. Under Pelagia’s spell, his vision is drowned in an eerie undertow, letting him glimpse the spiritual depths below. The writhing aura in that pit churns his gut like a squall on open waters. He swallows hard, knuckles white around his oar. "The pit is inhabited by something foul," he manages, voice tight, "and there’s worse deeper within the tomb. Best keep moving!"
Jan 30, 2025 4:07 am
The thief assumes that burials would be in the lower chambers. He takes his torch halfway down the first flight of stairs and then stops to look and listen.
Jan 30, 2025 4:52 am
Creeping down the damp stairs, Dufgal reaches the landing and peeks around the corner -- to see the stairs descending further and then leveling out into a short passage that extends to the edge of his torchlight. It's a narrow stone passage, perhaps five feet wide, and it looks like there might be a door at the end, on the right.
OOC:
Dufgal and Ty, please both make INT tests vs. DC 10.
Jan 30, 2025 5:12 am
Ty tries to trace the path that the animal tracks make across the floor, but soon concludes that it's hopeless. The marks cross one another and seem to take every passage; there's no way of knowing where the creature came from, or went to.
"Whatever was-- or is-- down here, ran all about. I can't tell where it came from." The elf's weird eyes, with their absence of white, narrow upon the passage directly ahead. "We haven't much daylight left to us. We should see what we can of this level, and then head back."
This last he says with raised voice for the benefit of the thief, who has taken their light down the nearest stairs.
"Whatever was-- or is-- down here, ran all about. I can't tell where it came from." The elf's weird eyes, with their absence of white, narrow upon the passage directly ahead. "We haven't much daylight left to us. We should see what we can of this level, and then head back."
This last he says with raised voice for the benefit of the thief, who has taken their light down the nearest stairs.
Rolls
Intelligence Test (+0) - (1d20)
(11) = 11
Jan 30, 2025 5:33 am
Peeking around the corner, the thief does his best stealthing thus far in his career. He assumes the party is impressed and very happy with his initiative to go scout out ahead.
Last edited January 30, 2025 5:34 am
Rolls
INT check - (1d20)
(18) = 18
Jan 30, 2025 6:16 am
Without the flickering torch to play havoc with his otherworldly, strange sight, Ty sees something else on the damp, packed earthen floor. Boot prints, several pairs of them... leading towards the edge of the sloping pit. Peering, he sees perhaps more -- a scuffle? Steps back and forth, to the side, and then... they disappear. Did their owners slide down and through the opening in the bottom?
His senses bristling, nose twitching and arse itching, Dufgal sees something on the ground as well -- in the passage ahead, leading to or perhaps from the doorway at the end.
Bloodstains, and plenty of them.
His senses bristling, nose twitching and arse itching, Dufgal sees something on the ground as well -- in the passage ahead, leading to or perhaps from the doorway at the end.
Bloodstains, and plenty of them.
Jan 31, 2025 12:46 am
His itching arse has always been a true guide. Dufgal feels it squinch and he knows that he must return to the rest of the crew with the description of what lies below. He backs up half the stairs and then turns to climb the remainder and finds Anora where he left her. He whispers, "I’se stumbled on a gruesome scene down there. Blood errywheres. Made my ar… uh…. Made me afeared. Best we’se stay up ‘ere."
Jan 31, 2025 3:58 am
"Other humans have been in here as well," Ty declares. For who else could it have been? The chance of another elf having come to this place is vanishingly small.
Ty takes a few steps back toward the room with the pit. He swings a spread palm through the air, as if he can feel the impressions left by those boots in the slime that glistens on the slope before him. "There was some struggle. Down there, closer to the pit. I think they went in."
The elf ponders a moment, then adds, "Unless they closed that round stone door behind them-- and why would they?-- then they must have come in another way." And, perhaps, whatever made all of the animal tracks went out the same way.
Ty takes a few steps back toward the room with the pit. He swings a spread palm through the air, as if he can feel the impressions left by those boots in the slime that glistens on the slope before him. "There was some struggle. Down there, closer to the pit. I think they went in."
The elf ponders a moment, then adds, "Unless they closed that round stone door behind them-- and why would they?-- then they must have come in another way." And, perhaps, whatever made all of the animal tracks went out the same way.
Jan 31, 2025 4:14 am
Aldric has seen Dufgal gut a man with a knife, so he knows he's not squeamish by any measure. The thought of what gruesome scene made him afeared sends shivers up his spine.
"Onward, then," he whispers. "Deeper."
"Onward, then," he whispers. "Deeper."
Jan 31, 2025 7:10 am
Forward, the group goes, quietly, into the deeper recesses of the foul-smelling tomb. They leave the stairs on the right where Dufgal spotted the blood and likely a door leading beneath the first room (C3), then the torch is held high as they pass the second set of stairs, these on the left. They lead to some circular chamber (CIRCULAR CHAMBER), but to see more the quartet would need to descend those shallow stairs.
They pass another passageway on the right, this one leading, perhaps, to some partially collapsed catacomb (C6).
Finally, continuing on to the north, they come upon an antechamber (C7). Tall slabs of stone support the high ceiling here. Three long steps descend to the floor of the antechamber, while two hammered bronze braziers resting before a towering stone door at the far side of the chamber. That door is carved with hundreds of spiraling runes, spinning into infinity. Inscribed above the portal is the image of an enormous wolf being crushed to death by a giant snake.
The floor is covered by what appears to be thousands of thin, translucent strips of vellum. To their horror, the explorers realize the crackling dried strips are the discarded skins of an untold number of serpents!
They pass another passageway on the right, this one leading, perhaps, to some partially collapsed catacomb (C6).
Finally, continuing on to the north, they come upon an antechamber (C7). Tall slabs of stone support the high ceiling here. Three long steps descend to the floor of the antechamber, while two hammered bronze braziers resting before a towering stone door at the far side of the chamber. That door is carved with hundreds of spiraling runes, spinning into infinity. Inscribed above the portal is the image of an enormous wolf being crushed to death by a giant snake.
The floor is covered by what appears to be thousands of thin, translucent strips of vellum. To their horror, the explorers realize the crackling dried strips are the discarded skins of an untold number of serpents!
OOC:
Aldric, your magics tell you that something vile lurks down in that circular chamber, and that a similar but slightly fainter feeling indicates some nastiness behind you and above you as you stand in the antechamber before the door.[ +- ] Time
Detect Evil Turns Remaining: 3
Turns Until Sunset: 12
Turns Until Sunset: 12
Jan 31, 2025 8:35 am
"Why didn’t the serpent guardian not keep the beast within this place? It would have kept us out, if not for Aldric, but surely its intended purpose is to keep the dog in!" Anora says, as she looks about the snake-encrusted door.
"There will be unpleasantness wherever we choose to go. Do we want to open doors while we are at it?" Anora says, wondering if they ought to push on, or explore the extent of the place without releasing anything else!
"There will be unpleasantness wherever we choose to go. Do we want to open doors while we are at it?" Anora says, wondering if they ought to push on, or explore the extent of the place without releasing anything else!
Feb 1, 2025 5:40 am
Aldric's voice is a panicked whisper as he delivers a warning to the others. He wasn’t sure whether it was a boon to see all the dangers in the dark or a curse. A typical Pelagian blessing, he surmised. Bitch Queen indeed!
"Not so loud, Anora the Blue! Something utterly vile lurks in that circular chamber we passed... and now, in this chamber, Pelagia’s sight senses a threat above, in the vaulted ceiling…"
He gestures at the high ceiling. "Raise the torch! Let’s see what horror lurks above."He concurs with Anora that the doors merit an inspection, but as to opening them, he does not yet know. Perhaps after they had sorted out the dangers, he would have a firmer opinion.
"Not so loud, Anora the Blue! Something utterly vile lurks in that circular chamber we passed... and now, in this chamber, Pelagia’s sight senses a threat above, in the vaulted ceiling…"
He gestures at the high ceiling. "Raise the torch! Let’s see what horror lurks above."
OOC:
Let's check out that ceiling, guided by Pelagia's detect evil.Last edited February 1, 2025 5:46 am
Feb 1, 2025 6:38 am
Dried snakeskins crackle underfoot as Aldric lifts the torch towards the ceiling -- which he sees is the inside of a semi-circular, packed earth and stone dome. The top of the thing is no more than a dozen feet in the air, but it's a higher ceiling than anywhere else they have seen in the tomb. Nothing lurks up there that the priest can see, and nor does his blessing from Pelagia pull his senses upwards. Rather it tells the cleric to turn around, and as he does his stomach lurches. Perhaps there is a small amount of pee.
There are rotten, fragmented remains of something wooden on the ground... perhaps from the collapse of some age-old wooden structure? It might have been attached to the wall via a series of now empty bored holes that are evident. Once a ladder, perhaps? It would make sense, given that the man also sees a crawlspace of some kind above the door's lintel. It is that strange orifice that gives the man pause. Two feet high and as wide as the doorway, that black, drafty space is from whence the sensation of evil emanates...
There are rotten, fragmented remains of something wooden on the ground... perhaps from the collapse of some age-old wooden structure? It might have been attached to the wall via a series of now empty bored holes that are evident. Once a ladder, perhaps? It would make sense, given that the man also sees a crawlspace of some kind above the door's lintel. It is that strange orifice that gives the man pause. Two feet high and as wide as the doorway, that black, drafty space is from whence the sensation of evil emanates...
OOC:
Check the map below -- the crawlspace is above the door, and depicted at the top right of the map. Make sense?
Feb 1, 2025 3:59 pm
Tyravasiel slips into the chamber, doing his best not to step on the tangle of snakeskin littering the floor. Still, the crispy leavings rustle and whisper wherever his slide-step brushes a piece with ankle or calf. It's as if the ghost of their maker haunts this place, hissing a spectral warning.
The elf glances back at the crawlspace where, as Aldric has suggested, danger lurks. Then he studies the door, with its spiral runes and carved lintel.
"The serpent was a guardian spirit for these barbarians," Ty muses, his voice pitched low and soft. "Look at the iconography here, and consider the shape of the tomb itself. Recall the water sprite we passed at the entrance." He swallows, then finishes, "And there are these skins."
If the snake is opposed to the wolf, then perhaps it is not-- or at least, not necessarily-- their enemy.
Ty contemplates the door from several paces away. How would the primitive humans have opened such a huge portal?
Oh, also! Are there human or animal tracks in here? Where are they relative to the doors?
The elf glances back at the crawlspace where, as Aldric has suggested, danger lurks. Then he studies the door, with its spiral runes and carved lintel.
"The serpent was a guardian spirit for these barbarians," Ty muses, his voice pitched low and soft. "Look at the iconography here, and consider the shape of the tomb itself. Recall the water sprite we passed at the entrance." He swallows, then finishes, "And there are these skins."
If the snake is opposed to the wolf, then perhaps it is not-- or at least, not necessarily-- their enemy.
Ty contemplates the door from several paces away. How would the primitive humans have opened such a huge portal?
OOC:
Looking for any indication of how one would open the doors. Handles, rings, cranks, levers, marks on the floor suggestive of how they open, etc. Also any obvious holes in the wall, depressions in the floor, and so forth that might indicate some more or less nasty mechanism associated with the doors.Oh, also! Are there human or animal tracks in here? Where are they relative to the doors?
Last edited February 1, 2025 4:01 pm
Feb 1, 2025 4:39 pm
Stepping lightfootedly, Ty comes to stand before the large, stone doors in the north as Aldric frowns at that black crawlspace behind them, just above the room entrance.
These ancient, spiral-rune-covered doors are strange. There are no visible hinges, handles, knockers, or any of the supporting structural elements one would expect to see if they were to slide to the side, rumbled upwards, or swing outwards. They reach the ceiling at the north edge of the room -- making the pair eight feet tall or more.
Perhaps they can be pushed open?
These ancient, spiral-rune-covered doors are strange. There are no visible hinges, handles, knockers, or any of the supporting structural elements one would expect to see if they were to slide to the side, rumbled upwards, or swing outwards. They reach the ceiling at the north edge of the room -- making the pair eight feet tall or more.
Perhaps they can be pushed open?
Feb 1, 2025 6:36 pm
The floor in this space is stone; tracks and prints do not linger.
OOC:
Missed some of the barrage of OOC questions, so... not groves in the flagstone floor. No holes in the wall beyond those beside the entrance that look like they might have been for a ladder. Amongst the dried snakes, some small bones are present -- rodents, perhaps?Feb 1, 2025 7:14 pm
"Nothing good ever comes from a hole like that," Aldric mutters*, eyes locked on the dark slit above the door, Pelagia's sight worrying him endlessly.
His fingers twitch, instinctively searching for something—anything—to block the opening before something slithers free. But there’s nothing. The damp, crumbling detritus around him is useless, too slow to gather, too loud to pile up. His robe? Not nearly enough.
He voices his unease, hoping someone else has a solution. If not, there’s no choice but to press forward. He steps inside, careful, deliberate. He keeps his gaze flicking between the room and the opening above, breath tight in his chest, waiting—because sooner or later, he expects something to emerge.
Once he reaches the door, he examines the runes in case they are familiar to a Witness like himself. But he knows he's stalling. They came here for a reason, and they'd best get on with it!
"Shall we open them, then?" he whispers to his companions. If all seems innocuous, he presses against the heavy stone door to test if they can be pushed open.
* - His lucky sign is Traps, and luck modifier is negative!
His fingers twitch, instinctively searching for something—anything—to block the opening before something slithers free. But there’s nothing. The damp, crumbling detritus around him is useless, too slow to gather, too loud to pile up. His robe? Not nearly enough.
He voices his unease, hoping someone else has a solution. If not, there’s no choice but to press forward. He steps inside, careful, deliberate. He keeps his gaze flicking between the room and the opening above, breath tight in his chest, waiting—because sooner or later, he expects something to emerge.
Once he reaches the door, he examines the runes in case they are familiar to a Witness like himself. But he knows he's stalling. They came here for a reason, and they'd best get on with it!
"Shall we open them, then?" he whispers to his companions. If all seems innocuous, he presses against the heavy stone door to test if they can be pushed open.
* - His lucky sign is Traps, and luck modifier is negative!
Feb 1, 2025 7:38 pm
The grooved, highly carved stone is cold as Aldric's fingertips explore it. The doors seem unyielding until the man applies a good amount of pressure -- then they give, moving suddenly. It's less than the length of a thumbnail, that motion, but there is an audible clunk behind the doors -- which go no further. If the priest had to guess, he would say they were set into the earth, and not designed to open!
A few more sounds come to the group as they listen, and watch... it is almost like they can chase across the ceiling with their eyes the slightly mechanical sounds of pulleys and switches... until there is a final click and scrape that comes from the crawlspace.
A few more sounds come to the group as they listen, and watch... it is almost like they can chase across the ceiling with their eyes the slightly mechanical sounds of pulleys and switches... until there is a final click and scrape that comes from the crawlspace.
OOC:
Luck check, please, Aldric. Factor in your sign!Feb 2, 2025 1:14 am
OOC:
luck check failed!Last edited February 2, 2025 1:14 am
Rolls
Luck check at -1 (current luck = 6) - (1d20)
(10) = 10
Feb 2, 2025 1:17 am
And after the sound -- the contraption, or whatever it was -- dead silence returns to the tomb.
Feb 2, 2025 1:28 am
"The door ... it doesn't lead anywhere. It's just a wall, I think. Or part of some mechanism. Did you hear those gears grinding?" He shoots a nervous glance back at that orifice above the door and see if his Bitch Queen enhanced sight detects any changes.
Feb 2, 2025 1:39 am
There was no change in the sensations Pelagia filled Aldric with... something vile lurked deep within that crawlspace, but nothing felt different after pushing on the doors.
Feb 2, 2025 2:14 am
"Nothing's different up there. Let's just backtrack and head down another direction."
OOC:
Partially collapsed catacombs, anyone?Feb 2, 2025 5:47 am
While the rest of the crew were investigating the doors, Dufgal felt his curiosity piqued to a peak beyond his threshold of tolerance. He finds handholds and footholds on the wall beside the door. He grips with all his might and shimmies his heft upward. His eyes must gain purchase!
OOC:
He has no intention to enter the crawlspace. He just wants to peep the mystery. You said no roll, right?Feb 2, 2025 11:15 am
Anora stifles a tut as she shimmies out of the fall-path of the thief. She did require knowledge of what was waiting above, and the thief was willing to provide. She admired him, even as she made way for him to be sent back earthward before long.
Hopefully nothing follows along after him…
"Your claws are easily a match for the Hound’s, Dufgal!" Anora says as encouragement, as she watches the man go!
Hopefully nothing follows along after him…
"Your claws are easily a match for the Hound’s, Dufgal!" Anora says as encouragement, as she watches the man go!
Feb 2, 2025 4:17 pm
Without magical water serpents or giant spiders or demonic hounds harrying him, Dufgal has an easy enough time climbing the wall high enough to peek into the narrow, dark space above room entrance. The crawlspace wends into darkness. Only two feet in height and not quite as wide as the door frame it's above, the big thief sees that the cramped space has a rough stone floor, but a ceiling of packed earth and roots, which dangle down. The smell here is powerful -- of damp earth, must, and rot. There is scarcely room to crawl in there, and any pack or heavy armor would need to first be removed.
Before climbing, Dufgal had handed his burning torch to a companion. They hand it back to the man now so he can peer deeper into the shadows. After a distance of just five or ten feet, the explorer sees that the claustrophobic space turns sharply to the right.
Before climbing, Dufgal had handed his burning torch to a companion. They hand it back to the man now so he can peer deeper into the shadows. After a distance of just five or ten feet, the explorer sees that the claustrophobic space turns sharply to the right.
OOC:
Note revealed passage on map.[ +- ] Time Tracker (after exploring room C-7)
Torch and Detect Evil Turns Remaining: 2
Turns Until Sunset: 11
Turns Until Sunset: 11
Feb 2, 2025 5:46 pm
Dufgal, ever efforting to be helpful, is torn between Aldrich’s "onward, deeper" and "there’s a vile threat lurking ahead." He pauses as the crawlspace turns to the right, considers going back, but curiosity gets the better of him. He peeks around, holding up the torch, trying to discover what lies beyond.
Feb 2, 2025 11:42 pm
Dufgal squirms up and into the orifice as the others watch, unshouldering his pack and pushing the torch along ahead of him. Arm over arm, he wriggles his way down to the not-to-distant corner, his nostrils twitching and flaring at the smell. The blackness is absolute inside the passage; without his torch, the man would not be able to see his hand in front of his face.
His legs and feet slip from view, then he finds himself at the corner. Leaning around, holding his torch aloft in the two-foot high tunnel as best he can, he sees that the passage continues straight west for what must be thirty feet -- to the edge of his torchlight.
His legs and feet slip from view, then he finds himself at the corner. Leaning around, holding his torch aloft in the two-foot high tunnel as best he can, he sees that the passage continues straight west for what must be thirty feet -- to the edge of his torchlight.
OOC:
Please make a DC10 INT check, Dufgal.Feb 3, 2025 12:58 am
Not even sure if he wants to know what lurks in the interminable darkness, Dufgal strains his eyes to look anyway.
Rolls
Dufgal: Intelligence - (1d20+0)
(12) = 12
Feb 3, 2025 5:24 am
Anora can hear her heart hammering in her chest, as she waits for some report from Dufgal! Words, or a deathly scream would each tell their own story!
"Should we…?" she asks quietly of the others, before choking off the question!
"Should we…?" she asks quietly of the others, before choking off the question!
Feb 3, 2025 6:33 am
In the flicking gloom inside that cramped, oppressive space, Dufgal finds it a little hard to breathe. Is that because of the smell? It's hard to say. But at the edge of the torchlight, some thirty feet away, the ceiling looks... different. There's a dark spot that stands out from the rest of the dark brown, root-bound earth that comprises the roof.
OOC:
To see it better / clearer you'd have to get considerably closer -- and take a Turn to do it.Feb 3, 2025 7:17 am
With each breath being harder to come by, Dufgal begins to shimmy backward. He knows he has no conclusive evidence of what lies ahead, but an instinct deep within him encourages him to protect the image of his usefulness to the others. He begins to concoct his story…
He climbs back down to find Anora’s widened eyes anticipating his update.
The thief stammers through his obvious lie, "I’se … uh, I’se had gone through that dark place on my stomach and, uh… I’se seen a big snake coiled in wait. I’se figgered it didn’t attack on account of this ‘ere torch. I’se seen that it had no treasure and it was no hound neither, so… I’se came back down to tell you’se."
Dufgal could barely manage looking at the well-coiffed lady, as pleasing as that usually was for him. He couldn’t bare it if she knew he was fibbing. He shuffled past her to start back toward the others.
"Should we’se join the others?"
He climbs back down to find Anora’s widened eyes anticipating his update.
The thief stammers through his obvious lie, "I’se … uh, I’se had gone through that dark place on my stomach and, uh… I’se seen a big snake coiled in wait. I’se figgered it didn’t attack on account of this ‘ere torch. I’se seen that it had no treasure and it was no hound neither, so… I’se came back down to tell you’se."
Dufgal could barely manage looking at the well-coiffed lady, as pleasing as that usually was for him. He couldn’t bare it if she knew he was fibbing. He shuffled past her to start back toward the others.
"Should we’se join the others?"
Feb 3, 2025 7:21 am
"A snake…" Anora says, wondering on this new information.
"How big, Dufgal? I appreciate it might be hard to tell! An equal to the Hound? Might it outmatch it, should it came to a contest?"
"How big, Dufgal? I appreciate it might be hard to tell! An equal to the Hound? Might it outmatch it, should it came to a contest?"
Feb 3, 2025 7:00 pm
Aldric is watching the whole thing unfold. There's an unease in his stomach, knowing that there's danger that lurks above. When he returns, he breathes a sigh of relief.
"Sometimes a man just has to see a thing for himself," he says to Dufgal as he pats him on the back. "Pelagia's gift gives me all the sense I need of the thing up there, but I understand your need to lay your own eyes on it."
He waits, with curiosity, to hear his answer to Anora's question.
"Sometimes a man just has to see a thing for himself," he says to Dufgal as he pats him on the back. "Pelagia's gift gives me all the sense I need of the thing up there, but I understand your need to lay your own eyes on it."
He waits, with curiosity, to hear his answer to Anora's question.
OOC:
Still here, just in case Dufgal needed saving :DFeb 4, 2025 4:52 am
"You saw a giant snake. Just sort of... coiled up there, in the tunnel."
Ty is having none of it. His weird, green eyes narrow upon Dufgal as he stalks back across the chamber, crunching snakeskin as he goes.
"And it didn't attack you because you had a torch. That's a stroke of luck! I have a couple of torches in my pack. If one flame cowed the beast, think what terror two could strike in its cold heart. Or dare I say it, three."
The elf presses his lips together. For a moment it seems he'll say more, but then he shakes his head.
"We haven't much time left to us before sunset. We should have a look at that catacomb we passed, where our Pelagian father sensed no threat to us."
Ty is having none of it. His weird, green eyes narrow upon Dufgal as he stalks back across the chamber, crunching snakeskin as he goes.
"And it didn't attack you because you had a torch. That's a stroke of luck! I have a couple of torches in my pack. If one flame cowed the beast, think what terror two could strike in its cold heart. Or dare I say it, three."
The elf presses his lips together. For a moment it seems he'll say more, but then he shakes his head.
"We haven't much time left to us before sunset. We should have a look at that catacomb we passed, where our Pelagian father sensed no threat to us."
Feb 4, 2025 5:32 am
The awkward thief upped his personal temperature and began perspiring in the cold dungeon. He simply waved his arms to indicate a very big, but not unbelievably big snake. He then quickly turned as if the group had decided to leave the room.
Feb 4, 2025 6:50 am
Something had set the extranatural hairs of their elf companion on end. Of the fact that Dufgal didn’t exactly answer her question, Anora says nothing.
"Lets!" Anora says, though she privately rebukes the idea of the Pelagian Father being hers.
"Lets!" Anora says, though she privately rebukes the idea of the Pelagian Father being hers.
OOC:
C-6?Feb 4, 2025 1:34 pm
OOC:
To C6!Feb 5, 2025 12:10 am
Moving quietly back down the main hall, the four explorers take their first left and traverse down the narrow passage that appeared to end in a partially collapsed catacomb. And as they reach the room’s threshold, Dufgal and Ty get a good view of the place.
As revealed by Ty’s queer sight and then the torchlight, the chamber has indeed partially collapsed: tall stone slabs that once supported the ceiling are now canted inward by the weight of the earth above and fallen debris is piled in the center of the room. The floor has fallen away in the far corner, and there is the sense that the entire chamber could perhaps collapse with the slightest disturbance…
As revealed by Ty’s queer sight and then the torchlight, the chamber has indeed partially collapsed: tall stone slabs that once supported the ceiling are now canted inward by the weight of the earth above and fallen debris is piled in the center of the room. The floor has fallen away in the far corner, and there is the sense that the entire chamber could perhaps collapse with the slightest disturbance…
OOC:
Map coming in a bit.[ +- ] But here’s the gist…
Feb 5, 2025 2:30 am
Anora pokes her head none-too-far into the chamber!
She tires to spot sunlight peeking through any of the debris!
"Are we to assume that this is where the beast crawled free from?!" she asks, hoping someone would offer to check!
She tires to spot sunlight peeking through any of the debris!
"Are we to assume that this is where the beast crawled free from?!" she asks, hoping someone would offer to check!
Feb 5, 2025 3:51 am
Agreeing with Anora but still feeling like drawing zero attention to himself, Dufgal simply holds the torch a bit higher to illuminate the Lady’s target.
Feb 5, 2025 5:44 am
Anora, needing more answers than she had the time or the daylight to provide, steps into the space. Tentatively, she pokes and prods, to try and see just how secure or insecure the place is.
Was this the weak spot that had set something loose into the Hirotian countryside?…
Was this the weak spot that had set something loose into the Hirotian countryside?…
Feb 5, 2025 7:02 am
The room that Anora moves into is a wreck. So much collapse and crumbled stone -- but it looks like perhaps the motifs in here were different. Not of serpents, but of cave lions -- large, predator cats. Much seems buried here, by tons of earth and rock, but the beehived sorceress spies two things of note as she moves into the center of the room, stepping carefully as a bit of dirt and dust showers down from the ceiling.
First, she sees a large and heavy stone chest, damaged but intact. Much stone debris lies atop it, but were that to be moved, perhaps the contents of the chest would be found to be undisturbed?
Next the woman finds what she was looking for: the sound of water and a few sparing rays of waning sunlight in the northeast corner of the building, where the wall has collapsed fully. It looks like it might be a difficult to navigate way out.
Back near the door, Ty picks out impressions in the few parts of the rubble-strewn floor that will hold them. Boot prints. Men came from this room and went deeper into the tomb. Perhaps right to that front chamber, with the depression?
First, she sees a large and heavy stone chest, damaged but intact. Much stone debris lies atop it, but were that to be moved, perhaps the contents of the chest would be found to be undisturbed?
Next the woman finds what she was looking for: the sound of water and a few sparing rays of waning sunlight in the northeast corner of the building, where the wall has collapsed fully. It looks like it might be a difficult to navigate way out.
Back near the door, Ty picks out impressions in the few parts of the rubble-strewn floor that will hold them. Boot prints. Men came from this room and went deeper into the tomb. Perhaps right to that front chamber, with the depression?
OOC:
Tracks are not easy to find here. It would take a turn to look for more, and it will also take a turn if you intend to try and clear off the chest so you can access it.Feb 5, 2025 8:15 am
Seeing that Ty was busy with his own investigations, Anora pats the stone chest to draw Aldric and Dufgal’s attentions. She makes eyes at the two men to suggest they go about digging the thing out carefully!
"We don’t have much sunlight left!" she reminds them, as she peeks through the passage!
"We don’t have much sunlight left!" she reminds them, as she peeks through the passage!
Feb 5, 2025 1:21 pm
"The humans must have come in through here," Ty murmurs, as if even speaking too loudly might bring the walls tumbling down around them. "Then they met their fate in that pit we passed earlier." For Dufgal's benefit, he adds, "Perhaps they didn't bring enough torches."
The elf creeps into the catacomb, careful not to touch the walls or to disturb any piles of debris that might tumble and send a shock through the floor. He's spied the boot prints of men he assumes were once Dolsten's tomb robbers; now he peers amongst the rubble for any sign of the animal tracks he noticed near the tomb's entrance.
The elf creeps into the catacomb, careful not to touch the walls or to disturb any piles of debris that might tumble and send a shock through the floor. He's spied the boot prints of men he assumes were once Dolsten's tomb robbers; now he peers amongst the rubble for any sign of the animal tracks he noticed near the tomb's entrance.
OOC:
Ty will spend a turn to search, if necessary.Feb 5, 2025 2:46 pm
Dufgal gets the hint quite clearly and moves to the stone chest. He carefully lifts one piece of rubble at a time and sets it in a pile to the side. He pauses to scan the collapsed wall every few seconds as well in case their disturbance happens to draw unwanted attention.
Feb 6, 2025 2:06 am
In response to Anora's tapping, Aldric regards the chest with rapt attention, investigating it with his Pelagian danger sight for ill omens. But he is quickly distracted as a scheme takes hold in his mind.
"Tread carefully here, everyone. However! Should hound or snake assail us in this tomb, perhaps we can use this near-collapsing room to our advantage. We can lure the unholy beast to this room, and crush its body beneath collapsing debris."
He will inspect the trickling water, as befits a Witness of Pelagia, and try to find the way these men entered, in case they needed to exit the same way!
"Tread carefully here, everyone. However! Should hound or snake assail us in this tomb, perhaps we can use this near-collapsing room to our advantage. We can lure the unholy beast to this room, and crush its body beneath collapsing debris."
He will inspect the trickling water, as befits a Witness of Pelagia, and try to find the way these men entered, in case they needed to exit the same way!
Feb 6, 2025 5:41 am
"Steady! Steady!" Anora says, putting a lip-service hand to a piece of debris that Dufgal was moving!
Already, Anora was wondering upon what could be inside…
Already, Anora was wondering upon what could be inside…
Feb 6, 2025 6:46 am
Over the next ten minutes or so, the partially collapsed room seems surprisingly stable. Yes, small amounts of dirt fall from the ceiling from time to time, but everyone present thinks the room is safer than it first appeared.
In the northeast corner, the wall breach is now visible. There is indeed a way to scramble down on all four across that rubble, and to make one's way outside, into the stream rushing past the mound to the east. A careful climb will not be dangerous; a rapid one might be. Ty finds only a few animal tracks that look large enough to possibly be from a creature like the Hound... but they are headed for the opening in the wall.
After clearing off the chest, Dufgal manhandles the heavy stone lid free... and marvels alongside Anora at what they find inside: a dozen human skulls resting atop a hammered bronze shield. The shield is embossed with the stylized image of a lion’s head...
In the northeast corner, the wall breach is now visible. There is indeed a way to scramble down on all four across that rubble, and to make one's way outside, into the stream rushing past the mound to the east. A careful climb will not be dangerous; a rapid one might be. Ty finds only a few animal tracks that look large enough to possibly be from a creature like the Hound... but they are headed for the opening in the wall.
After clearing off the chest, Dufgal manhandles the heavy stone lid free... and marvels alongside Anora at what they find inside: a dozen human skulls resting atop a hammered bronze shield. The shield is embossed with the stylized image of a lion’s head...
Feb 7, 2025 4:57 pm
"A lion? First a hound, then a snake, now a lion? Are we to tame an entire menagerie?" Aldric is frustrated because they are running out of options of places to go that don't trigger his Pelagian danger senses.
"We have yet to explore the circular chamber back down the hall, but Pelagia warns me of a significant danger down there. I don't see much way around it, though."
"We have yet to explore the circular chamber back down the hall, but Pelagia warns me of a significant danger down there. I don't see much way around it, though."
OOC:
Proposing we go investigate the circular chamber!Feb 7, 2025 9:04 pm
[ +- ] Time Tracker (after exploring room C-6)
Torch and Detect Evil Turns Remaining: 1
Turns Until Sunset: 10
Turns Until Sunset: 10
Feb 8, 2025 12:19 am
"If yer Sea Bitch warned you, then maybe we’se should listun. But if’n you’se tell me to go check it out, I will do it."
Dufgal respects Aldric more than trusts him, so he feels like he caught in a winch between the two feelings.
Dufgal respects Aldric more than trusts him, so he feels like he caught in a winch between the two feelings.
Feb 8, 2025 7:38 am
Respectfully, Anora removes the heads atop the shield, and sets them down gently at either side of the shield. There was a chance the thing was cursed, but she could only hope against such a thing! They didn’t have time to commit to the proper checks. In any case, the cleric’s sea bitch hadn’t alerted the man to anything amiss with the shield.
So she lifts it up and tests its weight.
"Lion, Snake, Hound… what next? Surely some beast of sea or sky!"
So she lifts it up and tests its weight.
"Lion, Snake, Hound… what next? Surely some beast of sea or sky!"
Feb 8, 2025 7:47 am
Setting the skulls aside gingerly, Anora finds the bones dusty and brittle, protected from the tomb's humidity inside the chest. The shield she lifts next -- with some effort! Solid bronze, the thing is heavy. Too heavy for the mage to wield in battle, but she does find that a sensation overtakes her when she hefts it with a grunt. It is fleeting and impossible to place, but feels something like... confidence? Conviction?
OOC:
Typos stomped!Feb 8, 2025 8:14 am
Anora knows enough at first touch to know that the thing will clatter to the floor before long, if she continues holding it. She sets it down at her feet with both hands.
"It’s not arcane exactly. I doubt it’s Pelagian either." she says, before Aldric can interject. "But there is something at work here…" she adds, inviting the others to lift the thing and see for themselves.
"It’s not arcane exactly. I doubt it’s Pelagian either." she says, before Aldric can interject. "But there is something at work here…" she adds, inviting the others to lift the thing and see for themselves.
Feb 8, 2025 4:28 pm
Tyravasiel-Llir is a wiry creature. Sure-footed-- when not confronted by bogs and mires-- and surprisingly sturdy for his lean frame, but not given to feats of strength. Therefore he declines Anora's offer to raise the bronze shield, and goes instead to inspect the rift in the chamber's outer wall. Crouching there, steadied by his mithril javelin, he splays long fingers over the impression of a paw in the dust and debris-- apparently tracking outward.
"If our besotted Dolsten is correct that his tomb robbers somehow awakened the hound in this barrow, then here is where it escaped into the world," Ty muses. "The question remains whether the thing returns here to lair."
At Aldric's suggestion of further delving, Tyravasiel looks back at the priest over one shoulder. "If we must flee, at least we can run here rather than having to navigate that slippery pit," he supplies. It's not much of an endorsement, but it's something.
"If our besotted Dolsten is correct that his tomb robbers somehow awakened the hound in this barrow, then here is where it escaped into the world," Ty muses. "The question remains whether the thing returns here to lair."
At Aldric's suggestion of further delving, Tyravasiel looks back at the priest over one shoulder. "If we must flee, at least we can run here rather than having to navigate that slippery pit," he supplies. It's not much of an endorsement, but it's something.
Last edited February 8, 2025 4:28 pm
Feb 8, 2025 5:07 pm
OOC:
Spending more time here discussing will tick the clock, FYI. What's the plan from here? The circular chamber?Feb 8, 2025 6:05 pm
Without Aldric’s direct request, still Dufgal understands that his lowest status places him in the position of greatest risk. He has understood that this is what others have always done to him. He winces at the familiar resentment, but picks up the shield and carries it to the circular chamber of death. At least with these three, he has choice and will be appreciated for his actions.
Feb 8, 2025 6:28 pm
[ +- ] Just a Note about Shields in General
We'll need to remember that -1 to checks! I don't know that I've noticed that before...
Feb 8, 2025 9:27 pm
Darkstar8 says:
"If yer Sea Bitch warned you, then maybe we’se should listun. But if’n you’se tell me to go check it out, I will do it."Dufgal respects Aldric more than trusts him, so he feels like he caught in a winch between the two feelings.
He puts down his shield and attempts to cast a fucking spell.
"Perhaps I can convince Pelagia to make us more mighty, in order to meet the danger below.
OOC:
And I got disapproval again.Last edited February 8, 2025 9:28 pm
Rolls
Casting bless - (1d20+2)
(1) + 2 = 3
Feb 9, 2025 4:21 am
OOC:
That increases Disapproval by 1 and you roll 1d4 on the Pelagia Disapproval Table, yes?Feb 9, 2025 5:47 am
[ +- ] Bitch Queen Bitchiness Table
Last edited February 9, 2025 5:58 am
Rolls
Disapproval failed with a roll of 1 - (1d4)
(1) = 1
Feb 9, 2025 6:19 am
OOC:
I'll wait until I see what the rest of you are doing before ticking the clock.Feb 10, 2025 1:56 am
Tyravasiel observes Aldric's penance with an uncomfortable expression and the darkness of pine in his eyes. The elf looks as if he's watching the performance of a particularly strange and off-putting tumbler, and wondering if he should say something about it to others in the audience.
After a few minutes, he clears his throat.
"Ah.. whenever you've finished... swaying, holy father, we must attend to our exploration."
The Pelagian priest mentioned that they're in search of a spear. Could that be the original to the decoration on the Wolf-Spear's wall?
After a few minutes, he clears his throat.
"Ah.. whenever you've finished... swaying, holy father, we must attend to our exploration."
The Pelagian priest mentioned that they're in search of a spear. Could that be the original to the decoration on the Wolf-Spear's wall?
Feb 10, 2025 2:21 am
"There is scarcely a less receptive deity on this plane than Aldric’s Pelagia. Justicia has done more for us, and we cast her cleric off of a cliff." she says.
Another moment of watching Aldric’s theatrics:
"A last resort, of course, but perhaps Pelagia might be similarly dealt with?" she says with a wry smile on her face!
Toss the cleric and the sea bitch may reward them…
Another moment of watching Aldric’s theatrics:
"A last resort, of course, but perhaps Pelagia might be similarly dealt with?" she says with a wry smile on her face!
Toss the cleric and the sea bitch may reward them…
OOC:
To the circle chamber!Last edited February 10, 2025 2:22 am
Feb 11, 2025 4:07 am
Aldric eventually comes out of his seizures and rises, mouth agape. "All us mortals are just worms on the hook to the gods, but none more so than the Bitch Queen." he moans, dusting his robes off from the room. "At least my friends did not desert me. Anyway, I've squirmed for her, and it's done. My thanks for not abandoning me to the snakes."
OOC:
To the circle chamber!Feb 11, 2025 5:25 am
As the explorers gather themselves up and make their way back to the main corridor, Aldric feels it. Pelagia's senses have abandoned him. And at the same time, Dufgal watches as his torch sputters and gutters -- then goes out, plunging the group into utter blackness.
And okay, okay! To the chamber, I get it!
OOC:
You're all the dark, yo! Well, except for Ty (cheater). Does someone else have a torch or lantern? D should scratch one off his sheet.And okay, okay! To the chamber, I get it!
[ +- ] Time Tracker (after Aldric does his penance)
Torch and Detect Evil Turns Remaining: 0
Turns Until Sunset: 9
Turns Until Sunset: 9
Feb 11, 2025 5:34 am
"You were writhing so much in her divine service that they might have mistaken you for one of their own." Anora says of the snakes!
Anora fetches up a torch, and calls out to Dufgal.
"Light this one on the embers!"
Anora fetches up a torch, and calls out to Dufgal.
"Light this one on the embers!"
Feb 11, 2025 6:44 am
Dufgal lights Anora’s torch.
"Hold it behind me if you would. This here shield is awful hefty."
And then he proceeds into the circular chamber.
"Hold it behind me if you would. This here shield is awful hefty."
And then he proceeds into the circular chamber.
Feb 11, 2025 7:05 am
With a new torch lit, Ty and Dufgal lead the way towards the lower, semi-circular chamber they spied in the west. It takes scant moments for them to reach it. The worn stone steps descend into a circular cave walled by tall stone slabs inscribed with dark runes. In the center of the chamber is a collection of stones topped by a slab resembling a table or altar. Atop the slab is the skull of an enormous bear. The runes on the wall slabs are carved in the likeness of massive cave bears, and of warriors donning the skulls and pelts of those bears. Both bears and bear-warriors are shown triumphantly battling dozens of foes.
The stench is strong in this room. Of rancid flesh, or perhaps more accurately, rotten fish or putrefying eel?
The stench is strong in this room. Of rancid flesh, or perhaps more accurately, rotten fish or putrefying eel?
Feb 11, 2025 8:58 am
Not wanting to risk his neck unnecessarily, Dufgal speaks up, quietly, "Uh, no spear here. No hound neither."
Feb 11, 2025 4:35 pm
Wrinkling his nose at the smell-- mere animal rot, with none of the piquancy that his own people sometimes employ in their more deliberately offensive perfumes-- Ty contemplates the great skull. Clearly the Hirotians' brutal ancestors meant it to be some sort of artifact. Perhaps it would be of interest to the dark lady who dogs his steps through the human lands?
But what tale would he tell of it? That the barbarian kings of old fancied themselves as strong as bears, and so killed some primitive beast, and positioned its fleshless skull in their barrow to flatter their own ghosts? And how would he move through Hirot with such a large and gruesome thing tucked under his arm? There would be questions, and the mayflies would not thank him for robbing their dead of such a trophy.
Having first considered the altar, Tyravasiel then looks to the ceiling above them. By torchlight, he searches for any holes or openings like unto the crawlspace they found in the antechamber. That discovery has put them on notice that there are more ways around this barrow than the corridors.
But what tale would he tell of it? That the barbarian kings of old fancied themselves as strong as bears, and so killed some primitive beast, and positioned its fleshless skull in their barrow to flatter their own ghosts? And how would he move through Hirot with such a large and gruesome thing tucked under his arm? There would be questions, and the mayflies would not thank him for robbing their dead of such a trophy.
Having first considered the altar, Tyravasiel then looks to the ceiling above them. By torchlight, he searches for any holes or openings like unto the crawlspace they found in the antechamber. That discovery has put them on notice that there are more ways around this barrow than the corridors.
Feb 12, 2025 4:45 am
Moving quietly into the room, Ty ponders the altar-table structure that dominates the center of the spherical chamber for a moment. It is constructed in a way that might mean it is hollow -- that the top of it might lift off or even hinge open. But when he roams the room, investigating the walls and the ceiling, looking for crawlspaces or cracks or any kind of opening... his eyes eventually make a discovery that would be startlingly were not all elves dead inside.
Halfway up the wall, someone or something else stares back at him from the shadowy back of the chamber.
It takes Ty all of two heartbeats to realized that there are actually two of the things, and that they are detaching from the wall and coming down. Tyravasiel-Llir calls out or otherwise signals a warning as the two creatures unfold and climb down. Grey-skinned and sickly looking, the two reeking humanoids come forward, hissing through their broken, yellowed teeth. Garbed in dull rags, their drooping flesh is wet, loose, putrefied -- and their hands long-nailed and so bony as to be skeletal.
But whatever they are, they are snapping hungrily and almost soundlessly surging forward to attack!
ROUND 1
Init Order: PCs TBD, Tomb Denizens
Edit: whoops! Sorry! =]
Halfway up the wall, someone or something else stares back at him from the shadowy back of the chamber.
It takes Ty all of two heartbeats to realized that there are actually two of the things, and that they are detaching from the wall and coming down. Tyravasiel-Llir calls out or otherwise signals a warning as the two creatures unfold and climb down. Grey-skinned and sickly looking, the two reeking humanoids come forward, hissing through their broken, yellowed teeth. Garbed in dull rags, their drooping flesh is wet, loose, putrefied -- and their hands long-nailed and so bony as to be skeletal.
But whatever they are, they are snapping hungrily and almost soundlessly surging forward to attack!
ROUND 1
Init Order: PCs TBD, Tomb Denizens
OOC:
Roll for Initiative! And feel free to incorporate a reaction, just don't take full actions unless you beat the Tomb Peeples init of 18.Edit: whoops! Sorry! =]
Rolls
Tomb Denizens Initiative - (1d20+1)
(17) + 1 = 18
Feb 12, 2025 5:22 am
Seeing Ty alarmed somehow really unsettled Dufgal. It’s as if he assumed that elves were unflappable. He shrinks himself such that only his eyes are visible over the edge of the bronze shield.
Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(16) + 1 = 17
Feb 12, 2025 6:04 am
OOC:
Placement-wise, btw, I figure you're all in this 20-25' wide circular chamber. The altar's in the middle, and I'm picturing Ty north and slightly west of it. Dufgal would be nearby, Aldric and Anora behind them and closer to the entrance of the room.Feb 12, 2025 8:04 am
Sword and torch in hand, Anora draws back in disgust at the sight of these savage kings indeed.
"Are these from without or within?" she asks, wondering if some sorcery has made the old Hirotians so, or was this an affliction of newer men… or women!
"Are these from without or within?" she asks, wondering if some sorcery has made the old Hirotians so, or was this an affliction of newer men… or women!
Rolls
Init! - (1d20)
(6) = 6
Feb 12, 2025 7:07 pm
Aldric brings up his shield and oar defensively, his leather armour squeaking! "Pelagia preserve us!"
Last edited February 12, 2025 7:09 pm
Rolls
Init - (1d20+0)
(10) = 10
Feb 13, 2025 2:22 am
"Ware the walls!" Ty shouts.
His glance toward the ceiling helped him spot the things, and that's given him precious seconds that his comrades lack. Already Tyravasiel is marshaling his wit, the insufferable arrogance of a long-lived race, preparing for the ancient game that his people play with reality itself.
The elves are not content with the world as it is. Their forests are not like the forests of men; where elves walk, oaks and aspens sing for the wind; leaves tumble down like jewels poured from the casket of the sun. It is Tyravasiel-Llir's birthright to move through such kaleidoscopes of color and light. Why should he not do so here?
But he is very far away from his home. A fugitive, with cropped ears and shrouded eyes, huddled and hiding in flyspeck filth. The trees do not sing here; the magic is thin. Perhaps the colors will not come when he wills them.
There is one color, at least, left to him, pulsing always beneath his skin. Summon that one, he thinks, and the others may follow.
Gritting his teeth, the elf drives the point of his mithril javelin down into his foot. Blood wells up and flows onto the ground, ruby red.
Through the pain, Ty bellows, "Stagger from the light, you foetid, rotten things! Wander lost amongst the colors of life! This is no longer your place. This world belongs to those who draw breath, who can yet smell the shit-stink that rises from your cadavers!"
His glance toward the ceiling helped him spot the things, and that's given him precious seconds that his comrades lack. Already Tyravasiel is marshaling his wit, the insufferable arrogance of a long-lived race, preparing for the ancient game that his people play with reality itself.
The elves are not content with the world as it is. Their forests are not like the forests of men; where elves walk, oaks and aspens sing for the wind; leaves tumble down like jewels poured from the casket of the sun. It is Tyravasiel-Llir's birthright to move through such kaleidoscopes of color and light. Why should he not do so here?
But he is very far away from his home. A fugitive, with cropped ears and shrouded eyes, huddled and hiding in flyspeck filth. The trees do not sing here; the magic is thin. Perhaps the colors will not come when he wills them.
There is one color, at least, left to him, pulsing always beneath his skin. Summon that one, he thinks, and the others may follow.
Gritting his teeth, the elf drives the point of his mithril javelin down into his foot. Blood wells up and flows onto the ground, ruby red.
Through the pain, Ty bellows, "Stagger from the light, you foetid, rotten things! Wander lost amongst the colors of life! This is no longer your place. This world belongs to those who draw breath, who can yet smell the shit-stink that rises from your cadavers!"
OOC:
All the spellburn! Spending four points from Agility and two from Stamina, for a total of 6. Last edited February 13, 2025 4:03 am
Rolls
Initiative - (1d20+1)
(17) + 1 = 18
Color Spray w/ Spellburn - (1d20+7)
(17) + 7 = 24
Damage Zombie 1 - (1d4)
(2) = 2
Damage Zombie 2 - (1d4)
(3) = 3
Tomb Denizen
Feb 13, 2025 5:07 am
Tomb Denizen
OOC:
Roll 3d4+1 to see how many turns they are down, Ty!They missed their turns — the other three party members are up!
Rolls
Tomb Denizen 1 Will Save - (1d20+1)
(14) + 1 = 15
Tomb Denizen 2 Will Save - (1d20+1)
(12) + 1 = 13
Feb 13, 2025 5:50 am
Dufgal covers his eyes when the magic erupts from the elf’s… everything. The spectacle made his wildest fantasies about elves seem mild. He found himself wondering if Anora would ever learn to wield magic like that.
When he felt that it was safe enough to look, he used the lingering flicker of magical light to locate and target weak points of the creature nearest him. He moved with alacrity and gave a quick, sharp battlecry as he swung the ornate warhammer with all his might.
When he felt that it was safe enough to look, he used the lingering flicker of magical light to locate and target weak points of the creature nearest him. He moved with alacrity and gave a quick, sharp battlecry as he swung the ornate warhammer with all his might.
OOC:
Crit resulted: Strike misses critical organs. Inflict a paltry +2d3 damage with this strike.Last edited February 13, 2025 5:52 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Warhammer - Roll - (1d20+1)
(16) + 1 = 17
Dufgal: Crit Roll - (1d10)
(1) = 1
Dufgal: Warhammer - Damage - (1d8+1)
(4) + 1 = 5
Crit dmg - (2d3)
(22) = 4
Feb 13, 2025 12:08 pm
Anora only half shields her eyes to the light, not wanting to miss one of the rare occasions where she would see one of the other peoples perform their magicks.
The lights dance across her blue robes, and the woman feels herself enhanced somehow. As if by sheer proximity to the stuff, her own magicks would be made stronger!
She lets the thing shimmer across her blade, and light flits about the ceiling and walls, even as she advances on the downed things to put them to the sword!
The lights dance across her blue robes, and the woman feels herself enhanced somehow. As if by sheer proximity to the stuff, her own magicks would be made stronger!
She lets the thing shimmer across her blade, and light flits about the ceiling and walls, even as she advances on the downed things to put them to the sword!
OOC:
Flavor!Feb 13, 2025 2:19 pm
OOC:
Rolling dice! Here's how many rounds the tomb denizens will be unconscious...Last edited February 13, 2025 2:32 pm
Rolls
Tomb Denizen 1 - (3d4+1)
(343) + 1 = 11
Tomb Denizen 2 - (3d4+1)
(244) + 1 = 11
Feb 14, 2025 4:02 am
OOC:
Dufgal! That warhammer is a +1 weapon in your hands, and it deals +3 damage to these creatures! That means you just dealt 12 damage to one of these tomb bastards!Unfortunately, the sickening burst is accompanied by a crack that can only mean the fresh haft of the weapon hasn’t held…
OOC:
Minus one Tomb Denizen, but the damaged weapon is now at -1d on the attack.Aldric and Anora, go go!
Feb 14, 2025 8:33 am
Light dances across the downed creature, as Anora stalks up and prepares to sully her blade with the blood and brains of the second vile creature!
OOC:
Awaiting Discord answers!Rolls
Attack! - (1d20-1)
(6) - 1 = 5
Anora the Blue: Longsword - (1d8-1)
(5) - 1 = 4
Feb 15, 2025 2:09 am
Aldric covers his eyes behind his shield as Ty exudes light. He is awed by Ty's display of magical power, and considers for a moment why the elf was always turning his nose up at humans. Blinking away the after-lights in his eyes, Aldric calls out to Pelagia in a rasping whisper as the murdering begins.
"Pelagia, my Bitch Queen! Please accept these sacrifices!" He begins crashing the oar marked with Pelagia's thrice-cresting waves to bash the Tomb Denizen's skull.
"Pelagia, my Bitch Queen! Please accept these sacrifices!" He begins crashing the oar marked with Pelagia's thrice-cresting waves to bash the Tomb Denizen's skull.
Rolls
Attack with Oar - (1d20-1, 1d5)
1d20-1 : (1) - 1 = 0
1d5 : (3) = 3
Feb 15, 2025 9:54 pm
Anora’s sword chops into loathsome gray flesh as Aldric raises his mighty oar. These tomb fiends will rue coming within weapon’s reach of this fearsome group of adventures! As the priest prepares the final blow on the second creature, Dufgal pulls his ornate hammer free from the brain-splattered, bloody slop that was the things head — and he starts when the body moves, when it almost jumps from the floor, sending its limp limbs dancing. Is there something inside the thing?!
Before the thief can cry a warning, Pelagia’s oar comes slicing into the second helpless ghoul’s torso. Ripe gray flesh and brittle yellow bone parts before the weapon’s hard wooden edge, opening a sucking cavity in the grotesque thing’s midsection — and in a sudden flurry of movement, of flung slime and bile and viscera, some two or three foot long worm-thing leaps from the now-dead biped, straight at Aldric. A vile serpent of some unknown origin, the parasite has a fanged, humanoid head atop its snake-like body!
Before the thief can cry a warning, Pelagia’s oar comes slicing into the second helpless ghoul’s torso. Ripe gray flesh and brittle yellow bone parts before the weapon’s hard wooden edge, opening a sucking cavity in the grotesque thing’s midsection — and in a sudden flurry of movement, of flung slime and bile and viscera, some two or three foot long worm-thing leaps from the now-dead biped, straight at Aldric. A vile serpent of some unknown origin, the parasite has a fanged, humanoid head atop its snake-like body!
OOC:
Reflex save vs. DC 15 to jump back out of this thing’s immediate reach, Aldric. Make it and we’ll head to the next round. Fail and it’ll get to attack you before Round 2.Rolls
Tomb Serpent Initiative - (1d20+3)
(13) + 3 = 16
Feb 15, 2025 10:36 pm
OOC:
Reflex save, DC 15... failure!Last edited February 15, 2025 10:36 pm
Rolls
Reflex Save DC 15 - (1d20+1)
(10) + 1 = 11
Tomb Serpent
Feb 16, 2025 3:31 am
Tomb Serpent
OOC:
Aldric, oh dear.Please roll a Fortitude Save vs. DC 5, then roll 1d8+1 for the critical hit. (Your Bad Luck (-1) affects the crit rolls.) Also suffer 1 damage.
Rolls
Ghoul Serpent Attacks Aldric (AC 12 / 13 with shield?) - (1d20+4)
(20) + 4 = 24
Damage - (1d2)
(1) = 1
Feb 16, 2025 4:31 am
OOC:
Fortitude save ...Critical hit roll...
Last edited February 16, 2025 4:37 am
Rolls
critical hit - (1d8+1)
(5) + 1 = 6
Fortitude save DC 5 - (1d20)
(10) = 10
Feb 16, 2025 8:46 am
Anora swoops out of the way, as Aldric brings chaos in his wake!
"Would you cease your pleas to Pelagia? Every time the Sea Bitch’s name is cried, you bring misfortune on yourself… and us all!" she barks, but she knows the man doesn’t hear!
The thing is already upon him!
"Would you cease your pleas to Pelagia? Every time the Sea Bitch’s name is cried, you bring misfortune on yourself… and us all!" she barks, but she knows the man doesn’t hear!
The thing is already upon him!
Tomb Serpent
Feb 16, 2025 4:30 pm
Tomb Serpent
OOC:
Save passed! This is good.The critical hit is less good.
[ +- ] Critical Effect
So, need one more Fort Save from Aldric — this one vs. DC 10 per the crit hit.
Feb 16, 2025 6:30 pm
Aldric lets loose a strangled cry as the snake-thing has him by the throat! He calls out to Pelagia (despite Anora's warning) for aid!
OOC:
Fort save part deux... burning 6 luck to pass.Last edited February 16, 2025 6:33 pm
Rolls
fort save DC 10 - (1d20+0)
(4) = 4
Feb 16, 2025 9:07 pm
Ty's tight-lipped smirk of triumph transmutes to a horrified gape as some sort of... serpent surges up from the broken corpse and fixes its fangs upon Aldric's throat.
A serpent?! Inside the cadaverous tomb guardian? Has the snake couched in the creature's chest like some loathsome parasite? Or has it worn the man-thing like fleshly armor, steering its motions from within? Ty's mind reels between the possibilities, each as mad and gruesome as the other.
The elf staggers across the room toward Aldric, trailing blood from his injured foot. He thrusts the reddened point of his javelin at the serpent. Perhaps he can torment the thing enough to make it loosen its jaws.
A serpent?! Inside the cadaverous tomb guardian? Has the snake couched in the creature's chest like some loathsome parasite? Or has it worn the man-thing like fleshly armor, steering its motions from within? Ty's mind reels between the possibilities, each as mad and gruesome as the other.
The elf staggers across the room toward Aldric, trailing blood from his injured foot. He thrusts the reddened point of his javelin at the serpent. Perhaps he can torment the thing enough to make it loosen its jaws.
Rolls
Attack Roll - (1d20)
(2) = 2
Potential Damage - (1d6-1)
(1) - 1 = 0
Feb 17, 2025 5:52 am
Aiming to rid Aldric of one of his plights, Dufgal pulls his garotte from his pocket and maneuvers to sneak it around the snake. A quick and fierce squeeze should do it.
OOC:
Alas, Aldric must fight his own demons…Last edited February 17, 2025 5:55 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Garotte* - Roll - (1d20)
(5) = 5
Tomb Serpent
Feb 18, 2025 6:09 am
Tomb Serpent
On the ground, a terrible squelching sound is heard from the other putrefied body -- a second fang-headed serpent is tearing itself free from the corpse!
OOC:
The second serpent will be able to attack next round.Aldric, you need another DC 5 STA check, please.
Rolls
Ghoul Serpent 1 Attacks Aldric (AC 12/13) - (1d20+4)
(18) + 4 = 22
Damage - (1d2)
(1) = 1
Feb 18, 2025 6:38 am
Aiming a sword strike neatly at the place where the serpent was trying to burst free, Anora hopes to decapitate the thing while it’s still within the foul body!
She brings the sword up and then down in a great arc! Great… for a wizardess in any case!
She brings the sword up and then down in a great arc! Great… for a wizardess in any case!
Rolls
Attack - (1d20-1)
(17) - 1 = 16
Anora the Blue: Longsword - (1d8-1)
(3) - 1 = 2
Feb 18, 2025 8:05 am
Anora's blow sends the bony serpent tumbling across the floor, but it rapidly slithers into an angry coil -- ready to strike!
OOC:
I would have offered +1d on damage there Anora since you were able to watch the thing emerge and pounce on it. You can roll a d10-1 for damage, or simply add +2 to your d8 damage total, making the total 4.Feb 19, 2025 12:48 am
As blood drips down Aldric's squeaky leather armour, he raises his shield and oar, both inscribed with the holy symbol of Pelagia. "Tremble, crawling things of the earth! Your reckoning is upon you!"
OOC:
Turn Unholy! +1 PER, +1 caster level, -1 Luck[ +- ] Table 4-4 Turn Unholy
Rolls
Turn Unholy - (1d20+1)
(15) + 1 = 16
Amount turned - (1d3+1)
(1) + 1 = 2
Feb 19, 2025 6:56 am
Aldric feels the serpent’s fangs pierce his flesh, fire and poison coursing through his veins as his lifeblood spills onto the earth! His vision wavers, but his voice rises like the roar of the tempest, defiant against the abyss. "O Pelagia, Keeper of the Endless Depths, hear thy servant’s cry! With the weight of the ocean, cast down this wickedness! Let thy wrath be as the storm, and thy mercy be our salvation!"
Rolls
divine aid! - (1d20+2)
(5) + 2 = 7
Feb 19, 2025 7:07 am
Pelagia hears Aldric's plea. She acknowledges his want, his impassioned appeal -- and the Briny Bitch does not listen! No, when the priest redoubles his efforts, he is in the middle of his prayer when he begins to choke, when the vile vipers begins making its way into his throat!
ROUND 3
Init Order: Ty, Dufgal, Ghoul Serpents (2), Aldric, Anora
ROUND 3
Init Order: Ty, Dufgal, Ghoul Serpents (2), Aldric, Anora
OOC:
Divine Aid denied! +10 Disapproval! Ty and Dufgal are up!Feb 19, 2025 7:34 am
Assuming that the beleaguered cleric was facing a mortal threat, Dufgal again attempts to encircle the Stygian throat with his lethal filament. If not successful, at least he may give the foul beast another target.The thief imagines the wire being a tiny metal snake and it’s the underdog in a righteous fight. He digs deep into his emotional bank and wills his efforts to find purchase.
OOC:
Burning 4 luckOOC:
Crit result is-1 so a 7: Strike to chest grazes vital organ. Inflict +3d4 damage with this strike. OOC:
15 total dmgLast edited February 19, 2025 8:14 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Garotte* - Roll - (1d20)
(7) = 7
Dufgal: Luck Die - (4d3)
(2323) = 10
Garotte dmg - (3d4+1)
(411) + 1 = 7
Dufgal: Crit Roll - (1d10)
(8) = 8
Crit dmg - (3d4)
(134) = 8
Feb 19, 2025 7:38 am
Anora rolls her eyes as her words go unheeded. Once again, the cleric calls out to his deity, and once again nothing happens.
It would surely be the man’s end, and not before long…
It would surely be the man’s end, and not before long…
Feb 19, 2025 4:34 pm
More and more blood flies from Aldric’s mouth and flows from his wounded, brutalized neck as the loathsome serpent tries again to puncture flesh so it can squirm and slide into the man’s throat, seeking the warmth of his belly. It is about to succeed when Dufgal looms up from behind, his garrote tight between his meaty hands. Quick as a cobra himself, he loops the deadly weapon around the monster and yanks, pulling it off of the ailing cleric.
So hard does Dufgal loop and strain with his line that the snake-thing comes immediately apart, falling to piece in his grasp. Putrid, jellied bits of serpent meat spray as the creature’s rotten, slimy bones go tumbling, vertebrae ratting and clunking down onto the tomb floor!
The second guardian rises, unconcerned by the demise of its fellow…
So hard does Dufgal loop and strain with his line that the snake-thing comes immediately apart, falling to piece in his grasp. Putrid, jellied bits of serpent meat spray as the creature’s rotten, slimy bones go tumbling, vertebrae ratting and clunking down onto the tomb floor!
The second guardian rises, unconcerned by the demise of its fellow…
OOC:
Ty is up!Feb 19, 2025 9:14 pm
Trust Dufgal to rise to the occasion when something positively must be mangled. Ty is about to congratulate the burly human on his triumph when he catches sight of the second snake, coiled to leap back into the fray.
There's another one of the damned things?! Was Tyravasiel's brilliant display of magic-- not to mention his punctured foot-- all for naught?
Curling his lip, the elf throws out his hands as if casting eldritch glitter upon the serpent. As he does so, Ty curses, "Damn your eyes, thou thrice-fucked thing! Thou rotting prick of some grubby human god long and well forgotten! Bow down thy foul cockhead, beast!"
Once more, Tyravasiel wills the kaleidoscopic spell to tumble down upon his foe! But from the lean tips of his fingers, from the dank air, nothing comes. Nothing but the silent laughter of the Fates...
There's another one of the damned things?! Was Tyravasiel's brilliant display of magic-- not to mention his punctured foot-- all for naught?
Curling his lip, the elf throws out his hands as if casting eldritch glitter upon the serpent. As he does so, Ty curses, "Damn your eyes, thou thrice-fucked thing! Thou rotting prick of some grubby human god long and well forgotten! Bow down thy foul cockhead, beast!"
Once more, Tyravasiel wills the kaleidoscopic spell to tumble down upon his foe! But from the lean tips of his fingers, from the dank air, nothing comes. Nothing but the silent laughter of the Fates...
OOC:
Color Spray! Oldie but a goodie...Last edited February 19, 2025 9:33 pm
Rolls
Color Spray - (1d20+1)
(2) + 1 = 3
Tomb Serpent
Feb 20, 2025 5:20 am
ROUND 3
Init Order: Ty, Dufgal, Ghoul Serpent, Aldric, Anora
Tomb Serpent
OOC:
That's a hit and 2 damage, Ty! Please also make a Fort Save, DC 5.Anora and Aldric are up!
Rolls
Serpent Fangs vs. AC 11 / 12 - (1d20+4)
(12) + 4 = 16
CHOMP - (1d2)
(2) = 2
Feb 20, 2025 9:27 am
Rather than talk the thing to death, like Aldric and Ty had tried to do, Anora instead swings her sword at the leaping snake thing! She hopes to catch the thing mid-spring!
Last edited February 21, 2025 7:49 am
Rolls
Attack - (1d20-1)
(8) - 1 = 7
Longsword - (1d8-1)
(4) - 1 = 3
Feb 21, 2025 3:14 am
Blood drips from his mouth as Aldric staggers back, but he doesn’t fall. He watches as Dufgal wrings the thing’s gods-damned neck, experiencing a touch of satisfaction. But it doesn't last long as another snake strikes at Ty—the elf who had come through for him more than Pelagia ever had. Aldric grips his oar, rage surging through the pain. With a snarl, he charges forward, ready to smash the fucking snake into the stone floor.
Rolls
Attack the snake! - (1d20-1, 1d5-1)
1d20-1 : (13) - 1 = 12
1d5-1 : (4) - 1 = 3
Feb 21, 2025 6:45 am
ROUND 4
Init Order: Ty, Dufgal, Ghoul Serpent, Aldric, Anora
OOC:
That’s a miss, Aldric. Spending two Luck would turn this into a hit, though.Aldric and Dufgal are up at the top of Round 4.
Feb 21, 2025 7:11 am
OOC:
Feel free to resolve this after Ty postsHe can’t quite get into the right position to make an impact, but he sure gives the snake another combatant to worry about.
Last edited February 21, 2025 7:13 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Garotte* - Roll - (1d20+1)
(5) + 1 = 6
Feb 21, 2025 8:06 am
Anora lets loose an irritated grunt, as the exertion of the swings tips her off balance, and knocks some of her neatly arranged hair even further out of place…
Feb 22, 2025 2:24 am
Bleeding now from his right leg and foot, Tyravasiel staggers back. He tries to put enough distance between himself and the serpent for a forceful thrust of his javelin. The elf narrows his weird, green eyes, takes aim, then drives the weapon's mithril head toward the beast.
However, Ty's balance is off, and the stab goes wide.
However, Ty's balance is off, and the stab goes wide.
Last edited February 22, 2025 2:26 am
Rolls
Attack - (1d20)
(10) = 10
Potential Damage - (1d6-1)
(5) - 1 = 4
Feb 22, 2025 2:30 pm
With only Anora’s light forcing back the creeping black of the tomb, the four adventures maintain their white knuckled grips on their weapons. One of the rotten guardians lies in pieces, but the second slithers still, rattling and hissing as it moves. It is in the midst Dufgal, Anora and Ty — the latter of which is leaving sopping red footprints on the dusty floor of the tomb…
Rolls
Targets: Dufgal 1, Anora 2, Ty 3 - (1d3)
(3) = 3
Feb 22, 2025 2:35 pm
And when the elf darts in with his javelin, limping, the serpent strikes at his hand!
Aldric and Anora are up!
OOC:
One damage to Ty, bitten on the hand! Fort Save vs. DC 5, please.Aldric and Anora are up!
Rolls
Serpent Strikes! (vs. AC 11) - (1d20+4)
(18) + 4 = 22
Damage - (1d2)
(1) = 1
Feb 23, 2025 4:38 am
Tired from swinging the long blade in one hand, and carrying the torch in the other, Anora opts instead to stab down on the head of the beast as it coils back into place!
Before she even looses the strike, she knows it’s missed! The thing is too small, and slitting beneath the shadows and her torch!
She grunts in exhausted annoyance as the sword comes back unbloodied!
Before she even looses the strike, she knows it’s missed! The thing is too small, and slitting beneath the shadows and her torch!
She grunts in exhausted annoyance as the sword comes back unbloodied!
Last edited February 23, 2025 4:39 am
Rolls
Attack - (1d20-1)
(9) - 1 = 8
Damage - (1d8-1)
(5) - 1 = 4
Feb 23, 2025 4:04 pm
Aldric smashes down at the snake with the his oar, fighting for his life! He will not die today! he will not be dragged into the abyss!
Rolls
attack the sneak! - (1d20-1, 1d5)
1d20-1 : (1) - 1 = 0
1d5 : (4) = 4
Feb 24, 2025 1:55 am
OOC:
Mentioned in the Discord: Four of you are fighting the thing, and might be striking from behind. When attacking, make a Luck roll. (Roll at or under.) Success will mean you can get +1d on your attack. Limited to one PC per round.Aldric's Fumble Die is a d8, and the roll is modified by his -current- Luck Modifier, which is... -3. (I'm not sure Aldric could actually burn Luck to 0 vs. 1, but let's not worry about that right now.)
Aldric, roll 1d8+3 and consult the chart below...
[ +- ] Let's get ready to ffffuuuuuummmmmble!
Feb 24, 2025 1:57 am
ROUND 4
Init Order: Ty, Dufgal, Ghoul Serpent, Aldric, Anora
OOC:
After we resolve Aldric's Fumble, we'll move to Round 5 and Ty and Dufgal will be up. Remember those positioning Luck rolls.Feb 26, 2025 6:41 pm
OOC:
Luck test (again my will and against a 6)Rolls
Dufgal: Luck vs. 6 - (1d20)
(6) = 6
Feb 26, 2025 8:31 pm
OOC:
Alright![ +- ] Results of Aldric’s Fumble
Feb 26, 2025 8:38 pm
Aldric’s oar smashes down onto the floor of the moldering crypt as the snake-thing darts to the side, out of the priest’s reach. The wooden weapon does not splinter, but when the man tries to withdraw, taking a step back — he slips!
Looking down, the cleric sees seawater! On the floor… here?!
ROUND 5
Init Order: Ty, Dufgal, Ghoul Serpent, Aldric, Anora
Looking down, the cleric sees seawater! On the floor… here?!
ROUND 5
Init Order: Ty, Dufgal, Ghoul Serpent, Aldric, Anora
OOC:
Ty and Dufgal are up — Dufgal is behind the thing based on his Luck roll and can use his backtabbedty-stab. Aldric is at +2 to be attacked.Feb 26, 2025 9:28 pm
The thief sees the serpent coiling to attack the man of the very wet cloth yet again. Will the trials of faith never end?! Well, they will if Dufgal has anything to say about it! He sends the sturdy wire around the long throat of the snake menace and reaches to catch the other end for the throttle.
OOC:
Crit result:Foe dazed by ferocious attack; its speed and actions are reduced by halfLast edited February 26, 2025 9:34 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Garotte* - Roll - (1d20+1)
(15) + 1 = 16
Dufgal: Garotte* - Damage - (3d4+1)
(434) + 1 = 12
Dufgal: Crit Roll - (1d10-1)
(7) - 1 = 6
Tomb Serpent
Feb 26, 2025 10:51 pm
Tomb Serpent
[ +- ] Time Tracker
Torch Turns Remaining: 5
Turns Until Sunset: 8
Turns Until Sunset: 8
OOC:
Victory! Combat ends, post freely. Scroll back up to Feb 11th to see fully descriptions of the room, what you’d already discovered, etc.Feb 27, 2025 12:11 am
Wanting to make sure none of those foul creatures remain lurking in the shadows, Dufgal pokes his head into the dark space from which they appeared.
Feb 27, 2025 12:21 am
OOC:
They came from inside the ghoul-things, which Ty dazzled. And it appears they were perched high on the wall in the dark.Feb 27, 2025 2:12 am
Aldric is grateful for Ty and Dufgal's intervention. Maybe even Anora's!
He reaches down to the wet floor and dampens his fingers in the (what he hopes is) sea water, and then brings the brine to his wound. As the salt water stings him horribly, he prays to Pelagia to close his wound! The bloody wound closes and then disappears as if it never happened. He straightens his armor and thanks his friends for having his back."Is anyone else in need of the Bitch Queen's healing touch?"
He reaches down to the wet floor and dampens his fingers in the (what he hopes is) sea water, and then brings the brine to his wound. As the salt water stings him horribly, he prays to Pelagia to close his wound! The bloody wound closes and then disappears as if it never happened. He straightens his armor and thanks his friends for having his back.
OOC:
Pelagia grants 9 points of healing to Aldric, bringing him back to 3/3 HP!Last edited February 27, 2025 2:18 am
Rolls
healing! - (1d20+2)
(14) + 2 = 16
lay on hands table = 2 D8's - (2d8)
(54) = 9
Feb 27, 2025 11:56 am
"If the Sea Bitch just answered your prayers, she’ll surely scorn you again before long. I suggest we seek healing by traditional means." Anora says, as she pokes about the dead bodies with the tip of her sword.
OOC:
Everything look in order, besides the snakes?Feb 28, 2025 2:14 am
Ty clutches his punctured hand. He half-sits, half-tumbles back onto his bottom, thereby taking his weight off of the leg that still oozes blood from foot and calf. His javelin-- shamefully un-bloodied-- clatters down beside him.
"We needn't tax the goddess' generosity, holy father," he assures the priest, through clenched teeth. Such as it is. Aldric's favor with Pelagia has been spotty at best, and the elf isn't sure he wants to entrust his body to any consequence of the Sea Bitch's displeasure. Instead, Ty tears a strip from his ratty cloak and wraps the wound that the serpent left on his leg.
As he works, Tyravasiel peers into the shadows above them. Now that the lurkers have been dealt with, perhaps he can have a proper look at the place.
"We needn't tax the goddess' generosity, holy father," he assures the priest, through clenched teeth. Such as it is. Aldric's favor with Pelagia has been spotty at best, and the elf isn't sure he wants to entrust his body to any consequence of the Sea Bitch's displeasure. Instead, Ty tears a strip from his ratty cloak and wraps the wound that the serpent left on his leg.
As he works, Tyravasiel peers into the shadows above them. Now that the lurkers have been dealt with, perhaps he can have a proper look at the place.
OOC:
Does there appear to be anything analogous to the crawlspace in this room? Any openings in the walls? Also, how large is the bear skull?Last edited February 28, 2025 2:37 am
Feb 28, 2025 3:57 am
Aldric snorts as the two are skeptical of Pelagia's "generosity." "Wisdom, that is. The Bitch Queen is not to be trusted. But, you cannot deny the quality of her gift, when she decides to impart them."
He gestures at his neck, which moments ago had been gushing lifeblood, but now bears not even a mark.
"Alas, we are running out of time. My vision is no longer blessed with Pelagia's danger sense, and we are not much closer to our target."
He gestures at his neck, which moments ago had been gushing lifeblood, but now bears not even a mark.
"Alas, we are running out of time. My vision is no longer blessed with Pelagia's danger sense, and we are not much closer to our target."
OOC:
Quick dungeon logistics check-in: I believe Detect Evil has expired now. Does Dufgal still have the only torch? If he's garotting snakes, he probably had to drop it. Do we need to light a new one?Feb 28, 2025 5:24 am
Anora's torch lights the room as Aldric beseeches the bitch queen... and is heard. And as Ty sits, almost collapses, to rest and dress his own wound.
A closer inspection of the domed walls and ceiling reveals little of interest beyond the stonework and spiraling patterns they have seen throughout the tomb. They find more and more depictions of cave bears and ursine warriors with bear-skull headgear and cloaks made from bear-pelts. They fight together against a plethora of ill-defined foes, but eventually all eyes fall back to the center of the chamber -- where a collection of stones are arranged like an altar, a large table or even a chest of sorts. The bear skull on top is from a huge specimen -- the beast must have been eight or ten feet tall at the shoulder when it was standing.
A closer inspection of the domed walls and ceiling reveals little of interest beyond the stonework and spiraling patterns they have seen throughout the tomb. They find more and more depictions of cave bears and ursine warriors with bear-skull headgear and cloaks made from bear-pelts. They fight together against a plethora of ill-defined foes, but eventually all eyes fall back to the center of the chamber -- where a collection of stones are arranged like an altar, a large table or even a chest of sorts. The bear skull on top is from a huge specimen -- the beast must have been eight or ten feet tall at the shoulder when it was standing.
Feb 28, 2025 6:17 am
"well, this must ‘ave sumpfin’ in it, right?"
And, just like that, Dufgal shoves the bear skull to floor and takes the top off the table/chest/altar thingy.
And, just like that, Dufgal shoves the bear skull to floor and takes the top off the table/chest/altar thingy.
Feb 28, 2025 6:53 am
The big bear skull shatters on the floor, sending teeth and bits of bone dancing as Dufgal attempts to move the heavy slab...
OOC:
STR check, Dufgal DC 15.Feb 28, 2025 1:48 pm
"Sacrilege!" scolds Ty. Of course he doesn't mean it. Even a human can tell from the tone of his voice.
He looks upon Dufgal's struggle with interest, curious-- in his unhelpful, elfin way-- to see what the big fellow might uncover beneath the altar stone. Having tied off his calf wound as best he can, Tyravasiel rips another tattered length of cloth from the bottom of his cloak and goes to work on his bleeding foot.
He looks upon Dufgal's struggle with interest, curious-- in his unhelpful, elfin way-- to see what the big fellow might uncover beneath the altar stone. Having tied off his calf wound as best he can, Tyravasiel rips another tattered length of cloth from the bottom of his cloak and goes to work on his bleeding foot.
Mar 1, 2025 12:05 am
Dufgal’s grunt is accompanied by a resonate grinding sound, and then the loud and echoing boom of the thick stone table top impacting the floor, breaking in two as it crashes down.
As the dust is settling, the thief peers into what is clearly a stone strongbox. A dozen human skulls leer at him, arranged in three near rows of four. Beneath them? What looks like a hide or bearskin rug or massive cloak, folded neatly. And there, in the middle — another bear skull, beneath the human ones.
As the dust is settling, the thief peers into what is clearly a stone strongbox. A dozen human skulls leer at him, arranged in three near rows of four. Beneath them? What looks like a hide or bearskin rug or massive cloak, folded neatly. And there, in the middle — another bear skull, beneath the human ones.
Mar 1, 2025 8:30 pm
A simple man, not phased by the human remains, Dufgal uses his 10’ pole to lift out the folded fabric to get a better look.
Mar 2, 2025 8:20 am
OOC:
Let me just say this: if you keep pressing your luck…. OOC:
And there it is!Last edited March 2, 2025 8:20 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Action Dice - (1d20)
(13) = 13
Mar 2, 2025 11:39 am
"Wait, we should…" but Dufgal is already lunging at the thing with the pole. Anora had been side tracked over whether she ought to donate some of her blue robes towards the elf’s wound dressings… and if so, then which piece of fabric might be bearable to part with.
With caution thrown to the wind, she simple asks the man:
"Well, Dufgal. What is it?"
With caution thrown to the wind, she simple asks the man:
"Well, Dufgal. What is it?"
Mar 2, 2025 4:16 pm
Tyravasiel-Llir can't help but wince as the altar's stone top comes crashing down. The sound of it batters his sensitive ears and echoes up the stairs behind them.
"Well. If there is anything else alive in this place, it knows we're here," the elf observes dryly.
Having bound the wounds on his leg in some meager fashion, Ty swaddles his injured hand in the folds of his cloak until the bleeding is stanched.
"Well. If there is anything else alive in this place, it knows we're here," the elf observes dryly.
Having bound the wounds on his leg in some meager fashion, Ty swaddles his injured hand in the folds of his cloak until the bleeding is stanched.
Last edited March 2, 2025 4:19 pm
Mar 2, 2025 10:09 pm
More bones crash and splinter against the floor as Dufgal lifts the musty pelt high on his nail-tipped pole, scattering the brittle human skulls, sending them rolling and smashing.
In the end, he is left holding up what appears to be a bearskin cloak of incredible craftsmanship. The heavy bear skull serves as headgear for the heavy garment, and rawhide laces and thongs and awl piercings allow it to be worn as a proper cloak, rather than just some fur cape. The thing is majestic... and also quite smelly.
In the end, he is left holding up what appears to be a bearskin cloak of incredible craftsmanship. The heavy bear skull serves as headgear for the heavy garment, and rawhide laces and thongs and awl piercings allow it to be worn as a proper cloak, rather than just some fur cape. The thing is majestic... and also quite smelly.
[ +- ] Time Tracker
Torch Turns Remaining: 4
Turns Until Sunset: 7
Turns Until Sunset: 7
Mar 3, 2025 12:28 am
"Alas, the spear still eludes us! Sundown isn't long from now, and that crawlspace is the only thing we haven't explored fully yet. Do we take that path, or retreat?"
Mar 3, 2025 12:41 am
The pungent odor is powerfully nostalgic for Dufgal. He takes it as a sign and dons the cloak. He grabs the bear skull helmet but only to tie it to the upper back of the cloak so it’s within reach.
With an uncharacteristic flair, he emphasizes his turn around as if to say, get a load of me! He figured that this is how he’d answer Anora’s question.
And with Aldric’s reminder of our dwindling time, he snaps out his imaginative state and says, "We’se should be on our way real soon if not now." offering his agreement.
With an uncharacteristic flair, he emphasizes his turn around as if to say, get a load of me! He figured that this is how he’d answer Anora’s question.
And with Aldric’s reminder of our dwindling time, he snaps out his imaginative state and says, "We’se should be on our way real soon if not now." offering his agreement.
Last edited March 3, 2025 12:44 am
Mar 3, 2025 6:23 am
OOC:
To be fair, there are at last two places that have not been fully explored -- see the two red circles. The top one is the passage Dufgal wiggled into, then turned around. The lower one is a door leading to the west that Dufgal saw when he went down that first set of stairs.[ +- ] Mapski
Mar 3, 2025 7:03 am
"Do you feel somehow… enhanced?" Anora asks of the footpad. The thing stank something terrible, but whoever had placed it here and clearly put some value on the thing! If not artistic, nor monetary, then surely it was some other value the thing held!
Mar 4, 2025 5:48 am
The question from the big-haired wizardess agitates the thief for some reason. Makes him a bit pissed off. Angry even. Yes. In fact, he quite enjoys picturing planting his fist right in her yapping face...
Mar 4, 2025 9:40 am
"Dufgal?" Anora asks a moment later again, when Dufgal doesn’t answer; instead looking at her with some new, bizarre expression on his face.
Mar 4, 2025 7:29 pm
Unaware what has come over him, the answer to Anora’s question was a profound yes. Was he geared up for transformation? Was the change coming to be one that would help them all… or only himself? He wondered back to the conversation he had with himself about becoming great, about running the town by Anora’s side. Now he started contemplating what she really brought to the table and whether he may be better off taking control. He was often told by his father that arrogance would ruin him. Troubling though that his father always used that to justify beating him. He acted as though it was helpful to leave him bruised and bloody. One day, I’ll show him.
The thief kept his mouth tightly shut around the trap that was his tongue. And he confidently marched down the hallway that has stopped him in terror just minutes before.
The thief kept his mouth tightly shut around the trap that was his tongue. And he confidently marched down the hallway that has stopped him in terror just minutes before.
OOC:
he will investigate C-3 by walking into C-4Mar 5, 2025 2:30 am
Tyravasiel-Llir has been contemplating a return to the crawlspace-- to face the large, flame-avoidant snake that Dufgal surely saw there-- but the human's sudden departure piques his curiosity. He pricks up his cropped ears and watches as Dufgal strides past.
"The Mud Prince strikes out on his own!" Ty observes to Anora. "You may have some competition there, Headwoman."
Intrigued, the elf takes up his javelin, struggles to his feet, and ambles off to see what the burly thief's sudden self-assertion is all about.
"The Mud Prince strikes out on his own!" Ty observes to Anora. "You may have some competition there, Headwoman."
Intrigued, the elf takes up his javelin, struggles to his feet, and ambles off to see what the burly thief's sudden self-assertion is all about.
Mar 5, 2025 4:49 am
"There’s scarcely a quicker way to make enemies than to ignore their words." Anora says, doubting the success of Dufgal’s rule if he couldn’t answer to his own name when called.
Would the townspeople’s cries also fall on deaf ears?…
Would the townspeople’s cries also fall on deaf ears?…
Mar 5, 2025 6:42 am
Out of the circular room and up the shallow steps Dufgal goes, wearing that absurd bear cloak. Then down the passage he first dipped into, when he saw the blood in the passage leading from the bottom of the steps. Ty a least goes with him, but Dufgal realizes as he leaves the light of Anora's flickering torch that he cannot see in the deep gloom that wells in the tomb.
Mar 5, 2025 6:53 am
"Would you seek to walk around blind as well as both deaf and dumb, Dufgal?" Anora says, as she slinks up with her torch behind the duo!
Mar 5, 2025 7:23 am
To this he responds, "I’se thankful for the light, but mind yer gullet. It’s an awful blighter in ‘ere. Wouldn’t want you to toss your biscuits."
Dufgal says all this over his shoulder and keeps his eyes affixed on the shadows ahead.
Dufgal says all this over his shoulder and keeps his eyes affixed on the shadows ahead.
Mar 5, 2025 7:48 am
"Some of us have faced the Jarl’s men head on, Dufgal, rather than springing on them from the shadows. Each of them stand taller and broader than you.
Try, if you like your chances…" Anora says, blade in hand and not one to let a man speak to her like that: Least of all a thief and murderer like Dufgal.
Try, if you like your chances…" Anora says, blade in hand and not one to let a man speak to her like that: Least of all a thief and murderer like Dufgal.
Mar 6, 2025 3:24 am
"What is this, a pissing contest?" Aldric asks as Dufgal and Anora spar with words. "By the gods, Dufgal just saved my life. His bravery is not up for question. Nor his intellect." he says to Anora. Then he turns to Dufgal, and says: "And Anora also fought bravely, with sword and spell, at our side."
To all, he says: "This tomb is horrible enough without the bickering between us. Have your words, yes, but not until we're warm with hearth fire and our hands clasp a full mug of ale."
To all, he says: "This tomb is horrible enough without the bickering between us. Have your words, yes, but not until we're warm with hearth fire and our hands clasp a full mug of ale."
Mar 6, 2025 4:10 am
Aldric’s words cut through the foul fog the thief had fallen under since donning the fetid furs. Dufgal remembers himself… and his affection for Anora. But pride clouds his thoughts now so he merely nods briefly at the cleric and bows his head slightly lower to the Lady Anora to whom he was contracted. He couldn’t possibly muster an apology even if warranted.
He turns forward again to contend with the bloody hallway.
He turns forward again to contend with the bloody hallway.
Mar 6, 2025 6:18 am
In that lower hallway, Dufgal and the others see that the dried bloodstains the thief called out earlier are not just present, but plentiful. And in that blood there are tracks -- bootprints, leading to the steps they just descended. But by the time they reach the bottom of the stairs, the blood has thinned and the prints disappeared.
A quick peer into the doorway at the end of that narrow passageway reveals that it is the space below the bowl-like depression in the upper chamber, one of the first rooms the adventurers encountered. It is in fact the bottom of that pit-trap, and fully a score bronze spears are set into the ground, awaiting anyone falling from that chamber above. A circular hole is visible in the ceiling, big enough for two people to fall through at the same time... surely leading to that upper room.
Beneath the hammered spears, on the floor of this lower chamber is a lot of dried blood. More than a single body might contain. And in that nasty mess, a pair of daggers glint, resting in the middle of that forest of spears.
A quick peer into the doorway at the end of that narrow passageway reveals that it is the space below the bowl-like depression in the upper chamber, one of the first rooms the adventurers encountered. It is in fact the bottom of that pit-trap, and fully a score bronze spears are set into the ground, awaiting anyone falling from that chamber above. A circular hole is visible in the ceiling, big enough for two people to fall through at the same time... surely leading to that upper room.
Beneath the hammered spears, on the floor of this lower chamber is a lot of dried blood. More than a single body might contain. And in that nasty mess, a pair of daggers glint, resting in the middle of that forest of spears.
Mar 6, 2025 11:04 am
"If it were a pissing contest, we would both surely lose in the presence of Aldric of Pelagia."
Anora snaps, but relents. The day… days… had lay heavy on the lot of them. They were close to the end, she felt it…
"It should be easy enough to navigate, when we are free from the opportunity to be impaled!"
Anora snaps, but relents. The day… days… had lay heavy on the lot of them. They were close to the end, she felt it…
"It should be easy enough to navigate, when we are free from the opportunity to be impaled!"
OOC:
Is there something across the way? A door or something?Mar 6, 2025 4:14 pm
Dufgal, having held the replica Wolf Spear, peers closely to see if the real Wolf Spear is hidden amongst the stand of trap spears.
Mar 6, 2025 11:26 pm
At least from the doorway, in the light of Anora’s torch, these bronze spears appear to be simple affairs, and bear little resemblance to the replica at the Wolf-Spear.
OOC:
No door visible from the doorway you’re in. I’ve presumed no one’s actually gone into the room just yet.Mar 6, 2025 11:40 pm
"Uh, I’se thinkin that it ain’t here, that magic spear we’se lookin for. Do we’se check that crawlspace agin’…. with extra torches?!"
Mar 7, 2025 4:37 am
Anora creeps amidst the spears, so that her light can brighten the chamber proper!
"Just a moment!" she says, tenderly than the last remark she had barbed at Dufgal!
"Just a moment!" she says, tenderly than the last remark she had barbed at Dufgal!
Mar 7, 2025 6:37 am
Moving into that claustrophobic space, Anora does not like what she finds, or smells. No hidden levers or trap doors, no other way out... but it's clear from the staining on certain spears and the pooled, dried blood beneath her feet that someone, or more than one someone, fell from above. They lost a lot of blood, and then they... were dragged away? Got up and walked away?
Near the woman's feet are also scraps of blood cloth, and two daggers of middling quality.
Near the woman's feet are also scraps of blood cloth, and two daggers of middling quality.
Mar 7, 2025 6:54 am
Anora stoops to fetch up the daggers, checking if they have any special carvings or design to them!
Mar 8, 2025 11:05 pm
"The crawlspace is the last stone to be unturned," Aldric says, simply, but he is filled with dread of entering it. "Let us be quick about it! Better to get the dread thing over with than live in the fear of it."
Mar 9, 2025 1:15 am
Carefully plucking the daggers from the floor, from the midst of that recently bloody small forest of spears, Anora inspects them and sees that they are of serviceable workmanship, and not too old. As well, she spies the same marker's mark on both -- a bar and crescent.
OOC:
Int check to remember if you've seen these before, Anora, and where. DC 10.Mar 9, 2025 6:58 pm
Quietly but quickly, the four weary adventurers make their way back to the antechamber in the north -- the room with the dried snakeskins on the floor, the heavy doors in the door that appear to not open, and the skinny passageway above the south doorway that Dufgal already partly investigated...
OOC:
Current map -- you just came from the "Pit" and are at the yellow highlight.[ +- ] Map
Mar 10, 2025 2:05 am
As they survey the climb required to access the tight space by Anora's dancing torchlight, the woman realizes where she has seen the maker's marks on the blades before -- on other tools and weapons in Hirot. The daggers had to have been made there, and are indeed no ancient things.
Mar 10, 2025 4:06 am
Dufgal recalls the recoil from climbing deeper into the crawlspace. He had never experienced darkness that dark. It made his hackles rise then and now, just thinking of it. However, he knew the mission and accepted his responsibility. He took off his pack and leaned his pole and the warhammer against the wall. He double checked his dagger and garrote were in reach.
Handing his unlit torch to Aldric, Dufgal asks him to light it and hand it up once he is up. And then he climbs up.
Handing his unlit torch to Aldric, Dufgal asks him to light it and hand it up once he is up. And then he climbs up.
Mar 10, 2025 6:28 am
OOC:
Need the overall approach here -- which we can discuss in Discord. In other words, is Dufgal going on ahead and if so, how far ahead? Who is next in line? Who has lit torches, etc.? (Sounds like at least Dufgal and Anora will have torches.)Mar 10, 2025 6:45 am
OOC:
I’ll leave my torch with the person last to come through. Aldric will need one while he waits! I’ll go through second.I wouldn’t wait too long! Pretty much once his legs are out of view, Anora is climbing in. Time is of the essence.
Last edited March 10, 2025 6:45 am
Mar 10, 2025 6:10 pm
Standing somewhat behind the others-- it took him longer to arrive, limping along on his makeshift cane and injured foot-- Ty watches Dufgal scramble up into the crawlspace. He doesn't relish making the same journey, especially in his state, but what help is there for it? It seems that the hound does not make its lair here, but beyond such reconnaissance, they've come for a relic spear. And that spear eludes them yet.
The elf accepts Anora's torch so that she can follow Dufgal into the tunnel. He'll wait until Aldric has ascended, hand up the torch, and then follow himself, dragging his javelin up after him.
"'Ware the serpent!" Ty calls merrily to Dufgal as he goes. "If it threatens you, give it good torch-brandishing."
His words are only half in jest. While Ty feels fairly certain that the burly human did not face down a giant snake in the passage above, the skins that litter the floor around them make clear enough that such a beast does exist-- or did, at any rate-- somewhere in this tomb.
The elf accepts Anora's torch so that she can follow Dufgal into the tunnel. He'll wait until Aldric has ascended, hand up the torch, and then follow himself, dragging his javelin up after him.
"'Ware the serpent!" Ty calls merrily to Dufgal as he goes. "If it threatens you, give it good torch-brandishing."
His words are only half in jest. While Ty feels fairly certain that the burly human did not face down a giant snake in the passage above, the skins that litter the floor around them make clear enough that such a beast does exist-- or did, at any rate-- somewhere in this tomb.
OOC:
I guess Ty can bring up the rear, if Aldric is cool with going third.Mar 11, 2025 2:55 am
As before, Dufgal finds that the cramped crawlway -- a mere two feet in height and perhaps double that in width -- is stone-paver lined on the bottom, but roofed with packed earth, which is matted with branches and roots.
Torches are passed, packs unshouldered as the others carefully ascend with one another's help. It takes time for Anora, Aldric, and Ty to move into that terrifying tunnel while Dufgal wiggles forward, arm over arm as he crawls. It is not easy to breathe in this awful space, and there are stinks aplenty. Of must and rot, of vole and rat shit and mold.
Burning brand in hand, Dufgal leads the way -- around the corner he peered around last time, and down the long tunnel that turns again to the right some thirty feet away. And at that corner, there is that strange patch on the ceiling he saw before. A circular discoloration that sets it off from the rest of the tunnel roof.
Determined this time, and now with his three fellows in tow, the slope-shouldered man presses on, down to the corner, to the next turn where the ceiling looks damper, or once disturbed. A peek around that corner with his torch shows Dufgal that the tunnel keeps going, north now, but only fifteen or twenty feet further before it looks to empty into some dark chamber. Scattered everywhere in front of him are the tiny bones of what must have been dozens of snakes. Vertebrae, skulls, fangs, ribs.
Moreover, the smell is powerful now. Rot and decay of... fish? Eel? And while the rancor increases, a squint into the dark at the edge of his torchlight reveals something to Dufgal. In that chamber, ahead, there is something in the center of the room. Something large. A column or pillar, covered in carvings or etchings...
Torches are passed, packs unshouldered as the others carefully ascend with one another's help. It takes time for Anora, Aldric, and Ty to move into that terrifying tunnel while Dufgal wiggles forward, arm over arm as he crawls. It is not easy to breathe in this awful space, and there are stinks aplenty. Of must and rot, of vole and rat shit and mold.
Burning brand in hand, Dufgal leads the way -- around the corner he peered around last time, and down the long tunnel that turns again to the right some thirty feet away. And at that corner, there is that strange patch on the ceiling he saw before. A circular discoloration that sets it off from the rest of the tunnel roof.
Determined this time, and now with his three fellows in tow, the slope-shouldered man presses on, down to the corner, to the next turn where the ceiling looks damper, or once disturbed. A peek around that corner with his torch shows Dufgal that the tunnel keeps going, north now, but only fifteen or twenty feet further before it looks to empty into some dark chamber. Scattered everywhere in front of him are the tiny bones of what must have been dozens of snakes. Vertebrae, skulls, fangs, ribs.
Moreover, the smell is powerful now. Rot and decay of... fish? Eel? And while the rancor increases, a squint into the dark at the edge of his torchlight reveals something to Dufgal. In that chamber, ahead, there is something in the center of the room. Something large. A column or pillar, covered in carvings or etchings...
Mar 11, 2025 3:00 am
OOC:
Here's the map -- see your relative positions. You entered the tunnel at C7 and are crawling through C8 (the 30' tunnel) to C10 (the corner / dark spot). Dufgal is peering into C9 (the room with the column).Please make clear what's in your hands, what happens you took, what you left behind, etc.
Mar 11, 2025 4:46 am
Scooching along as swiftly as he deems it safe, Dufgal feels the dual pressures of time and fear. He sees the fancy markings on the column and gets excited, and whispers "Oh Lady, you’se gonna like this."
OOC:
He only carries his torch in his hand. His garrote and dagger are stowed. He left everything else leaning against the wall in C-7OOC:
If this chamber allows, he will enter and stand up. Mar 11, 2025 5:34 am
OOC:
As asked in the Discord, just let me know if people are following along. And please specify, like Dufgal did, what you left behind, what's in your hands, etc.Rolls
Secret Roll
Mar 11, 2025 6:02 am
"You’ve returned to yourself." Anora says, with some effort as she scoots forward.
"What do you suppose it is?" Anora asks, yearning to be free of the cramped space.
"What do you suppose it is?" Anora asks, yearning to be free of the cramped space.
OOC:
Put away my sword for the crawling! Once she’s back on two feet, she’ll draw it again and maybe clutch back up her torch.Mar 11, 2025 10:33 pm
Still whispering, assuming caution over carelessness, Dufgal whispers back, some of them writings, them magic kind that you’se read
Mar 12, 2025 12:06 am
Aldric climbs up with his oar in one hand, but the passage is too small for him to effectively wield his shield. He slings the inscribed over his back and leaves a hand, and climbs into the crawlspace behind Anora. From back here, he can't see too much other than Anora's hindquarters, but he takes no pleasure in this sight, given the stench around him and claustrophobic stranglehold. He hears Dufgal's whispers of magical writings. Although he is anxious to move forward, he waits for Dufgal to dictate the pace.
OOC:
Aldric has just his oar for now, but will don his shield again once he's out of the tunnel.Mar 12, 2025 12:40 am
"Mind the roof above," Ty murmurs as he struggles along behind the others. He's pushing his pack ahead of him and crawling with his javelin in one hand beside him. "We must be under the stream here. That's why the earth seems darker."
OOC:
I guess Ty is carrying the second torch, for now?Last edited March 12, 2025 1:06 am
Mar 12, 2025 3:07 am
Pulses racing, the four crawl on, with Ty having a torch in the rear, and Dufgal in the front. The thief, and then Anora behind him, both move through the litter of old snake bones and spill down into the high vaulted chamber the former gong farmer’s been describing. Though not a large room, the interior resembles that of some ancient great hall. It has seen better days; a few stones in the ceiling, thirty feet over head, appear to have shifted, and some have fallen and rest, dust-covered, in front of the pair of explorers.
But the main attraction is the wide column in the center of the room. It rises to the ceiling, supporting it, and is decorated with dozens of stylized carvings depicting the deaths of wolves at the hands of men. The column itself seems to be made of alternating sections of stone and rotting wood. Hung from it, like trophies some twenty feet above the floor, are a long wolf-spear, and a bronze shield.
Back in the passage, Aldric and Ty make their way forward. The priest is faced with the serpent bones, but can see Anora and Dufgal ahead, in a more comfortable-looking space. When Ty passes the corner he notes, like the others, the increase in the loathsome smell that’s been assaulting his nose for some time. The ceiling in the corner seems more a woven mat of branches than packed earth, but exclamations from those ahead draw him onward.
But the main attraction is the wide column in the center of the room. It rises to the ceiling, supporting it, and is decorated with dozens of stylized carvings depicting the deaths of wolves at the hands of men. The column itself seems to be made of alternating sections of stone and rotting wood. Hung from it, like trophies some twenty feet above the floor, are a long wolf-spear, and a bronze shield.
Back in the passage, Aldric and Ty make their way forward. The priest is faced with the serpent bones, but can see Anora and Dufgal ahead, in a more comfortable-looking space. When Ty passes the corner he notes, like the others, the increase in the loathsome smell that’s been assaulting his nose for some time. The ceiling in the corner seems more a woven mat of branches than packed earth, but exclamations from those ahead draw him onward.
OOC:
Ty, make a Luck check, please — roll your Luck or less on a d20. Aldric, you’re approaching the end of the tunnel, where it spills into the chamber Anora and Dufgal are in. That chamber has not other obvious ways out or features beyond the column and the armaments described.Mar 12, 2025 4:20 am
"Perhaps we needn’t all have come. If we can fetch up the shield and spear quickly, we can be back before dark!" Anora says to Dufgal, gently pressing the back of her hand against him, as if to spur him into action.
Mar 12, 2025 5:31 am
Although meant to spur him into action, Anora’s touch had other effects as well. The surprisingly spry thief takes to the climb like one who’s reached the top of many trees. His nimble fingers find purchase in the lines of the carvings and he is quickly off the floor.
OOC:
Let me know what checks to rollLast edited March 12, 2025 5:35 am
Mar 12, 2025 6:43 pm
OOC:
Luck check!That's a success! Eat it, evil snake!
Last edited March 13, 2025 12:45 am
Rolls
Luck Test - (1d20)
(7) = 7
Mar 13, 2025 2:33 am
Aldric moves forward and clambers into the chamber with Dufgal and Anora, if for no other reason than to stand upright again. As his nostrils fill with the ever-intensifying odour of the chamber, he muses on the strange twists and turns of life. For example, he would never have suspected that fucking the crone would only rank as the second most disgusting experience he's had this all day.
He once again dons his shield as he waits for ever-reliable Dufgal to fetch the prize.
He once again dons his shield as he waits for ever-reliable Dufgal to fetch the prize.
Mar 13, 2025 3:16 am
OOC:
Oh boy. Here we go.Ahead, Aldric drops down into the chamber and fixes his shield to his arm. Anora watches as Dufgal, urged on by her gentle prodding, starts his ascent. The column of stone and wood looks like an easy climb… but the man isn’t three feet off the ground when a chunk of rotten wood crumbles beneath his foot and falls to the chamber floor. A large stone tumbles out of the column, landing heavily and making the wizardess dodge its weight. It’s followed by another, and another… forcing the thief to jump back down to the ground as the whole column trembles and then at once — collapses! Hunks of disintegrating wood and dozens of engraved stones thunder down onto the floor of the chamber, driving the two adventurers away from the middle of the room… which suddenly shudders itself, robbed of its central support.
Dirt and rubble begin raining from the ceiling — which quickly crumbles and begins to come apart. Several hundred pounds of earth and stone comes pounding down onto the ground, and then the entire chamber begins to collapse!
OOC:
Ooookay! Hopefully that’s all clear! If you have questions, ask them in the Discord. I need Initiative rolls from everyone for this little gem of a set piece, and I will advise you to not roll low.Mar 13, 2025 4:05 am
Dufgal rolls with the fall and pops back to his feet. Given the state of the rotting wood, he almost expected it to give. What he definitely didn’t expect was the whole support column collapsing. He backs up to avoid the largest of the falling chunks and prepares for what is next.
Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(20) + 1 = 21
Mar 13, 2025 4:27 am
Aldric raises his oar and shield to ward against failing debris as the ceiling collapses!
Rolls
initiative - (1d20)
(5) = 5
Mar 13, 2025 10:59 pm
OOC:
Sorry for the delay! Initiative!Is the roof of the crawlspace a mass of earth and twigs all the way along, or only in the spot where the hands are coming through?
Rolls
Initiative - (1d20)
(16) = 16
Mar 14, 2025 4:15 am
The rubble is already raining down by the time Anora, Dufgal, and Aldric realize what’s happening. Fist-sized stones pelt the ground along with heavy clods of earth as ancient mortar dust showers down, coating everything grey. The passage they came in through is surely their only escape — but where in it is Aldric? Will there be enough room for all three of them to get to safety? And can they get there quickly enough?!
[ +- ] The Collapsing Chamber
The Trap — Based on Initiative Count
20: Stone and wood column pieces rain down from above; DC 10 Ref save or 1d6 damage.
15: ?
10: ?
5: ?
1: ?
20: Stone and wood column pieces rain down from above; DC 10 Ref save or 1d6 damage.
15: ?
10: ?
5: ?
1: ?
OOC:
Dufgal can, if he wants, escape into the tunnel on beat 21 of the initiative. On 20, everyone exposed needs to make a DC 10 Reflex check or suffer 1d6 damage. Then we’ll count down the initiative from there.Rolls
Tunnel Ghoul Initiative - (1d20+1)
(19) + 1 = 20
Mar 14, 2025 4:41 am
Anora looks up, as the earth and stones start to fall all about her…
Rolls
Reflexes - (1d20+1)
(17) + 1 = 18
Mar 14, 2025 6:07 am
The terror of meeting the Bitch Queen in the afterlife fuels Aldric's addled body and mind into a burst of energy. He deflects the raining debris with the oar and shield that bears Her thrice-crested wave.
Last edited March 14, 2025 6:11 am
Rolls
Reflex save DC 10 - (1d20+1)
(19) + 1 = 20
Mar 14, 2025 3:38 pm
Recalling the time he had to navigate through the church in total darkness, Dufgal quickly memorizes a path to the only exit. But first he must grab for the Wolf-spear as it was the culmination of their efforts. He turns to locate it and is momentarily blinded by the avalanching dust and debris. His survival instincts kick in and his legs jerk him back around and begin darting along the imprinted path toward the egress. He miraculously dodges every larger chunk of earth and stone that falls.
As he gains momentary cover in the tunnel, he looks back in hope that his crewmates are also safe.
As he gains momentary cover in the tunnel, he looks back in hope that his crewmates are also safe.
OOC:
So no spear but he is unscathed by Harley StrohLast edited March 14, 2025 3:44 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Agility - (1d20+2)
(19) + 2 = 21
Luck check vs 6 - (1d20)
(20) = 20
Mar 15, 2025 12:12 am
After Dufgal darts into the only means of escape, the tunnel that led to this now doomed chamber, he turns back as watches at the spear falls and disappears beneath what must be tons of cascading earth and stone. Anora and Aldric are coming, but the ground moves beneath their feet, and they scramble to avoid huge rocks that fall from above, any one of which is large enough to kill a person outright should it land straight on them!
In the tunnel behind Ty, who is hearing the thunder and the screams of his fellows, a withered, decaying creature slithers and slinks through the hole it's opened in the ceiling, then turns towards him and hisses -- twice! The monster's once-human face yawns wide, revealing a wriggling black tongue, but so too does the fanged mouth of the snake-thing that's burst part-way out of its host's sunken chest!
Failure has dire consequences...
In the tunnel behind Ty, who is hearing the thunder and the screams of his fellows, a withered, decaying creature slithers and slinks through the hole it's opened in the ceiling, then turns towards him and hisses -- twice! The monster's once-human face yawns wide, revealing a wriggling black tongue, but so too does the fanged mouth of the snake-thing that's burst part-way out of its host's sunken chest!
OOC:
Anora and Aldric. Sorry, but you need another Reflexes Save -- this one vs. DC 5!Failure has dire consequences...
[ +- ] Blocking the way back to the rest of the tomb is another creep with a snake in his belly...
[ +- ] The Collapsing Chamber
The Trap — Based on Initiative Count
20: Stone and wood column pieces rain down from above; DC 10 Ref save or 1d6 damage.
15: A massive slab crashes down from above; DC 5 Ref save or 2d6 damage.
10: ?
5: ?
1: ?
20: Stone and wood column pieces rain down from above; DC 10 Ref save or 1d6 damage.
15: A massive slab crashes down from above; DC 5 Ref save or 2d6 damage.
10: ?
5: ?
1: ?
Mar 15, 2025 12:21 am
As he looks on at the terrifying scene, Dufgal also see that he's dropped something during his flight!
Roll a d4!
1 Warhammer Head
2 Garrote
3 Purse (4gp, 82sp, 31cp)
4 Bronze Shield
OOC:
A 20 on that Luck roll is pretty awful, D. You've left something valuable behind!Roll a d4!
1 Warhammer Head
2 Garrote
3 Purse (4gp, 82sp, 31cp)
4 Bronze Shield
Mar 15, 2025 12:29 am
OOC:
Anora's roll, wow!So, normally, all success does is allow you to avoid a giant chunk of rock that will do 2d6 damage. In other words, you avoid the rock, but are still not free of the room until your initiative comes up. (We're on 15 right now, counting down.)
With the 20, I'll let Anora:
♦ Escape the room, slipping out right behind Dufgal!
♦ Shove Aldric out of the way of the huge stone, meaning he doesn't need to roll! But you're both still in the room, and won't act until Init 9 for Anora, and Init 5 for Aldric.
♦ Spot a clear path out for both of you, increasing your initiative scores by 1d5 each!
What will it be?
Mar 15, 2025 12:33 am
OOC:
And just pointed out to me in the Discord, it's Ty's move on 16![ +- ] The Collapsing Chamber Initiative Countdown
The Trap — Based on Initiative Count
21: Dufgal
20: Tunnel Ghoul
20: Stone and wood column pieces rain down from above; DC 10 Ref save or 1d6 damage.
16: Ty
15: A massive slab crashes down from above; DC 5 Ref save or 2d6 damage.
10: ?
Anora: 9
Aldric: 5
5: ?
1: ?
21: Dufgal
20: Tunnel Ghoul
20: Stone and wood column pieces rain down from above; DC 10 Ref save or 1d6 damage.
16: Ty
15: A massive slab crashes down from above; DC 5 Ref save or 2d6 damage.
10: ?
Anora: 9
Aldric: 5
5: ?
1: ?
Mar 15, 2025 12:46 am
Anora looks up, and sees a slab of stone large enough to crush both her and Aldric with ease. Far too great to be held at bay by Pelagia’s holy weapon, the oar.
Anora springs aside, clutching up her cloth as she runs. To get it caught beneath debris would mean certain death. The woman puts her hand to Aldric’s shoulder, and pulls the man along with her! She grips tight, feeling that the man is ever so slick to the touch!
Just enough to pull them both out of the path of that largest piece, which sends shivers up to her knees when it lands just in front of her.
"The Bitch Queen would surely smite us all, if we let you be claimed by earth, and not sea…"
Anora springs aside, clutching up her cloth as she runs. To get it caught beneath debris would mean certain death. The woman puts her hand to Aldric’s shoulder, and pulls the man along with her! She grips tight, feeling that the man is ever so slick to the touch!
Just enough to pull them both out of the path of that largest piece, which sends shivers up to her knees when it lands just in front of her.
"The Bitch Queen would surely smite us all, if we let you be claimed by earth, and not sea…"
Mar 15, 2025 1:02 am
Ty is vaguely aware of the tumult behind him, but can't turn to look. The snake-ridden ghoul has clambered through a tangle of roots in the roof, and now hisses its defiance before the elf, blocking any escape. Whatever might be happening in the pillared chamber, they won't be able to get away from it unless they can deal with this abomination. Somehow.
Ty hasn't had much luck with his spear against these beasts. Perhaps fire will prove a more fearsome weapon to an aged corpse.
Leaning forward, Tyravasiel thrusts his torch at the creature's chest. Even if the ghoul doesn't catch fire, maybe he can drive it back toward the roots from which it came!
Ty hasn't had much luck with his spear against these beasts. Perhaps fire will prove a more fearsome weapon to an aged corpse.
Leaning forward, Tyravasiel thrusts his torch at the creature's chest. Even if the ghoul doesn't catch fire, maybe he can drive it back toward the roots from which it came!
Last edited March 15, 2025 1:03 am
Rolls
Fire Attack! - (1d20)
(13) = 13
Damage - (1d4+1)
(3) + 1 = 4
Does it Burn) (Luck) - (1d24)
(4) = 4
Mar 15, 2025 1:23 am
OOC:
To be clear, Anora, you choose:♦ Shove Aldric out of the way of the huge stone, meaning he doesn't need to roll! But you're both still in the room, and won't act until Init 9 for Anora, and Init 5 for Aldric.
Yes?
Ty, if you use the torch like a flaming brand (which is sounds like you are), it'll do 1d4+1 damage. (The +1 is from the flames. A successful Luck check on your part with -1d (so roll a d24) will -also- catch it on fire...)
To be clear, 13 is a hit! Roll that 1d4+1 damage, and test your Luck!
Mar 15, 2025 1:39 am
In a panic, Dufgal pats his belongings to see why he feels like something is missing.
Rolls
Harrigan’s cruelty ;) - (1d4)
(4) = 4
Mar 15, 2025 2:22 am
Inside the tunnel, there's a terrible scream as Ty tries to drive the creature he's suddenly facing back with his flaming torch, but Anora and Aldric pay it no mind as something gives over their heads. It's suddenly raining down smooth river rocks, the rounded cobbles and pebbles one would find in the bottom of a river bed... or at the beach. The things must have been used as fill by the builder of the mound, but regardless they come like an avalanche now, hundreds of them, up to the size of the woman's fist! Their bodies are pounded and pelted by the round stones as they make for safety -- there's no avoiding the things!
OOC:
Both Anora and Aldric suffer 1d4 damage, and if that doesn't put them to 0hp on its own, they each need to make FORT saves vs. DC 10 or lose 1d7 Initiative points![ +- ] The Collapsing Chamber Initiative Countdown
The Trap — Based on Initiative Count
21: Dufgal
20: Tunnel Ghoul
20: Stone and wood column pieces rain down from above; DC 10 Ref save or 1d6 damage.
16: Ty
15: A massive slab crashes down from above; DC 5 Ref save or 2d6 damage.
10: Rubble falls from above, striking all in the chamber for 1d4 damage. PCs must attempt a DC 10 Fort save or lose 1d7 from their initiative count.
Anora: 9
Aldric: 5
5: ?
1: ?
21: Dufgal
20: Tunnel Ghoul
20: Stone and wood column pieces rain down from above; DC 10 Ref save or 1d6 damage.
16: Ty
15: A massive slab crashes down from above; DC 5 Ref save or 2d6 damage.
10: Rubble falls from above, striking all in the chamber for 1d4 damage. PCs must attempt a DC 10 Fort save or lose 1d7 from their initiative count.
Anora: 9
Aldric: 5
5: ?
1: ?
Rolls
Anora is pelted for... - (1d4)
(2) = 2
Aldric is struck for... - (1d4)
(3) = 3
Mar 15, 2025 2:26 am
OOC:
As you can see, 2 damage to Anora, and 3 to Aldric -- which knocks him cold. Anora needs to make that Fort Save, please. What does it look like when Aldric goes down, Len?Mar 15, 2025 2:27 am
OOC:
I’m still up!Rolls
Straight roll! - (1d20)
(4) = 4
Lost Init! - (1d7)
(5) = 5
Mar 15, 2025 2:32 am
Anora had spoken too soon of water, when the river rocks start to come from above. She sees Aldric take a nasty wound, even as her cloth begins to cover her eyes as her hands cover her head!
Mar 15, 2025 3:29 am
As the torrent of rocks and river water slam into Aldric, he knows Pelagia had come for him at last. He had tried so hard, but he should have known better. "Save yourselves!" he calls to his friends. Perhaps he could give them this one, miserable gift before his end.
He suddenly feels so, so tired. Tired of running. Tired of pretending. Tired of being afraid. Tired of being a fool. The cold, inky depths swallow him, and he has no strength left to resist it.
He suddenly feels so, so tired. Tired of running. Tired of pretending. Tired of being afraid. Tired of being a fool. The cold, inky depths swallow him, and he has no strength left to resist it.
Mar 15, 2025 5:07 am
Somewhere, Anora hears it. A ghoul-thing burning, thrashing, screaming. It's parasitic snake-fiend howls too as the flames crackle and blister its already-dead flesh. But there lies Aldric, on the ground, struck down by the stones, and now somehow lying in -- water? Here?
Turning as the tumble of stones only increases, she looks at Dufgal. He's is perched at the edge of the tunnel just a few paces away. Three? Four? It's not far -- and Anora, though bruised and battered, is suddenly sure she can make it!
A great and deep resonant cracking suddenly shakes the whole tomb as piece of stone ten feet across shears off and plunges down from the top of the chamber, to the floor below. To where Anora is about to reach out for her companion's hand. The woman is nearly crushed instantly when the boulder hits the ground right in front of her with a cacophonous boom, a sound that must carry all the way back to Hirot.
Dufgal jumps back as the huge rock then tilts and crashes against the tunnel entrance -- completely sealing it. Between Dufgal and Anora are inexplicably now many hundreds of pounds of stone, and the shearing, ripping, rumbling cracks spreading across the ceiling reveal that the entire chamber is about to collapse in on itself.
Good luck.
Turning as the tumble of stones only increases, she looks at Dufgal. He's is perched at the edge of the tunnel just a few paces away. Three? Four? It's not far -- and Anora, though bruised and battered, is suddenly sure she can make it!
A great and deep resonant cracking suddenly shakes the whole tomb as piece of stone ten feet across shears off and plunges down from the top of the chamber, to the floor below. To where Anora is about to reach out for her companion's hand. The woman is nearly crushed instantly when the boulder hits the ground right in front of her with a cacophonous boom, a sound that must carry all the way back to Hirot.
Dufgal jumps back as the huge rock then tilts and crashes against the tunnel entrance -- completely sealing it. Between Dufgal and Anora are inexplicably now many hundreds of pounds of stone, and the shearing, ripping, rumbling cracks spreading across the ceiling reveal that the entire chamber is about to collapse in on itself.
OOC:
Anora, you are trapped. Aldric is down, and your escape route has been sealed. You have but one hope -- somehow move the monstrous stone that prevents your escape. This is a Strength check, DC 20. Aldric is unconscious and dying while Ty is occupied with trying to roast a tomb ghoul and open the way back. You and Dufgal can cooperate to try and move the stone if you like, calling muffled instructions to one another. One of you will roll, at +1d for the assistance -- so a d24. We can discuss more in the Discord.Good luck.
[ +- ] The Collapsing Chamber Initiative Countdown
The Trap — Based on Initiative Count
21: Dufgal
20: Tunnel Ghoul
20: Stone and wood column pieces rain down from above; DC 10 Ref save or 1d6 damage.
16: Ty
15: A massive slab crashes down from above; DC 5 Ref save or 2d6 damage.
10: Rubble falls from above, striking all in the chamber for 1d4 damage. PCs must attempt a DC 10 Fort save or lose 1d7 from their initiative count.
Aldric: 5
5: A stone slab falls from the ceiling, sealing the chamber. (Characters with remaining actions can attempt to temporarily hoist the massive slab with a DC 20 Strength check.)
Anora: 4
1: ?
21: Dufgal
20: Tunnel Ghoul
20: Stone and wood column pieces rain down from above; DC 10 Ref save or 1d6 damage.
16: Ty
15: A massive slab crashes down from above; DC 5 Ref save or 2d6 damage.
10: Rubble falls from above, striking all in the chamber for 1d4 damage. PCs must attempt a DC 10 Fort save or lose 1d7 from their initiative count.
Aldric: 5
5: A stone slab falls from the ceiling, sealing the chamber. (Characters with remaining actions can attempt to temporarily hoist the massive slab with a DC 20 Strength check.)
Anora: 4
1: ?
Mar 15, 2025 5:15 am
OOC:
[ +- ] For Clarity
Ty is near C10, Dufgal is just south of the massive red rock that just feel. Anora and Aldric are in C10.
Mar 15, 2025 5:32 am
Anora hammers on the massive stone, just as soon as her bones stop shaking from the immense weight landing near her.
"Dufgal!" she cries, as she hammers on the stone. She doesn’t know if the man can hear her! "You’ll have to push it! Just a little. Aldric is here… He’s hurt! We don’t want the stone to fall on him." she says, hoping that if the rapscallion won’t do it for her, he would at least do it for the death-bound priest still within!
"Dufgal!" she cries, as she hammers on the stone. She doesn’t know if the man can hear her! "You’ll have to push it! Just a little. Aldric is here… He’s hurt! We don’t want the stone to fall on him." she says, hoping that if the rapscallion won’t do it for her, he would at least do it for the death-bound priest still within!
Last edited March 15, 2025 5:34 am
Mar 15, 2025 5:43 am
Ever bound to serve the Lady Anora, Dufgal hears and heeds her call. He grips his side of the massive stone slab and times his heave when he hears the timbre in the woman’s voice cue her effort.
Last edited March 15, 2025 5:50 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Strength check to move mountains - (1d24+1)
(8) + 1 = 9
Mar 15, 2025 5:58 am
One moment, Dufgal is straining, pushing for all he's worth, hearing Anora's desperate cries through the small gaps in the rock -- and the next is there final jarring shake... and then eerie silence, save for the trickle of water and loose scrambling of pebbles and small stones.
Of Anora and Aldric, there is no more sign.
Anora and Aldric will be missed, guys!😥
Of Anora and Aldric, there is no more sign.
OOC:
We'll have a moment of silence here for the fallen, then I'll return tomorrow and roll initiative for round 2 with the on-fire tomb-goul-serpent.Anora and Aldric will be missed, guys!
[ +- ] The Collapsing Chamber Initiative Countdown
The Trap — Based on Initiative Count
21: Dufgal
20: Tunnel Ghoul
20: Stone and wood column pieces rain down from above; DC 10 Ref save or 1d6 damage.
16: Ty
15: A massive slab crashes down from above; DC 5 Ref save or 2d6 damage.
10: Rubble falls from above, striking all in the chamber for 1d4 damage. PCs must attempt a DC 10 Fort save or lose 1d7 from their initiative count.
Aldric: 5
5: A stone slab falls from the ceiling, sealing the chamber. (Characters with remaining actions can attempt to temporarily hoist the massive slab with a DC 20 Strength check.)
Anora: 4
1: Several tons of stone and earth collapse into the chamber, filling the false tomb with rubble and killing anyone remaining.
21: Dufgal
20: Tunnel Ghoul
20: Stone and wood column pieces rain down from above; DC 10 Ref save or 1d6 damage.
16: Ty
15: A massive slab crashes down from above; DC 5 Ref save or 2d6 damage.
10: Rubble falls from above, striking all in the chamber for 1d4 damage. PCs must attempt a DC 10 Fort save or lose 1d7 from their initiative count.
Aldric: 5
5: A stone slab falls from the ceiling, sealing the chamber. (Characters with remaining actions can attempt to temporarily hoist the massive slab with a DC 20 Strength check.)
Anora: 4
1: Several tons of stone and earth collapse into the chamber, filling the false tomb with rubble and killing anyone remaining.
Mar 15, 2025 10:07 pm
REST IN PEACE
Aldric
Waveborn of Pelagia, former Potato Farmer
Anora the Blue
Evoker and Apprentice Without Peer
Mar 15, 2025 10:11 pm
OOC:
Alright, so with those two crushed and suffocated to death terrifyingly, let's press on with the current scene!We're moving to Round 2, and Ty is face to face with some kind of undead serpent-ghoul thing he's just lit on fire, while Dufgal just experienced Aldric and Anora getting horrifically crushed to death on the other side of the stone that now seals off that trapped tomb room.
Mar 15, 2025 10:20 pm
Tomb Denizen
The clothes worn by the poor soul who this happened to ignite first, and within seconds the monster is aflame, without much ability in the close confines of the tunnel to do much about it! Flesh blisters and boils and sloughs off the creature as it burns and wails, but the serpent...
Tomb Serpent
ROUND 2
Init Order: Tomb Serpent (7), Tomb Denizen (7), Dufgal (?), Ty (?)
OOC:
Init rolls needed for Round 2 from Ty and Dufgal![ +- ] Current Map
Rolls
End of Round 1 Fire Damage vs. Tomb Denizen - (1d6)
(4) = 4
End of Round 1 Fire Damage vs. Tomb Serpent - (1d6)
(1) = 1
Tomb Denizen Init - (1d20+1)
(6) + 1 = 7
Tomb Serpent Init - (1d20+3)
(4) + 3 = 7
Mar 16, 2025 1:23 am
Forgetting to breath, not out of fear of inhaling dust, but out of devastation, Dufgal finally gasps and lowers his head for just two moments; one for the man who was the strangest priest the thief had ever, likely will ever meet m, and one for the vision of refined beauty that was the Lady Anora. Truthfully, he would have pledged his service to her without contract or pay. Now though, her imprint on him was all that was left. He gave himself an oath right there to praise her name in any circle that would hear it for as long as he lived.
Suddenly, he was reminded that his own life was still at risk as he whirled around to see another foul serpent in combat with the elf.
Suddenly, he was reminded that his own life was still at risk as he whirled around to see another foul serpent in combat with the elf.
Last edited March 16, 2025 1:36 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(18) + 1 = 19
Mar 16, 2025 3:47 am
The frantic thief reaches for his dagger and is relieved to find it still secured in his belt. His fingers close tightly around the hilt and then he lunges and plunges the blade into the flesh of the snake.
Realizing he missed, he tries to push past and make his escape. There is nothing left to gain from fighting.
Realizing he missed, he tries to push past and make his escape. There is nothing left to gain from fighting.
Last edited March 16, 2025 3:50 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Dagger* - Roll - (1d20+1)
(9) + 1 = 10
Mar 16, 2025 4:14 am
ROUND 2
Init Order: Dufgal (19), Ty (7), Tomb Serpent (7), Tomb Denizen (7)
OOC:
Round 2, Dufgal and Ty are up first! You’ll be at half-speed while crawling, btw, and Dufgal is currently 15-20’ from Ty, who is blocking the passage…[ +- ] Current Map
Mar 16, 2025 3:19 pm
Darkstar8 says:
The frantic thief reaches for his dagger and is relieved to find it still secured in his belt. His fingers close tightly around the hilt and then he lunges and plunges the blade into the flesh of the snake.Realizing he missed, he tries to push past and make his escape. There is nothing left to gain from fighting.
OOC:
Missed this -- please see the Discord for a breakdown, then post an action again -- including if it's just a delay / hold.For clarity, let's say Dufgal is 15' from Ty's feet, which are the first thing he'd encounter in the tight tunnel. Your 1/2 speed move could take you exactly that distance on your belly... leaving your action for something else if Ty moves ahead, the two of you coordinate to switch positions, etc. Cool?
Mar 16, 2025 3:39 pm
As Dufgal reaches the elf’s boots, he assesses the snake situation and determines that the only course of action is to try and escape. His motivation for heroic action lay dead beneath heaps of stone, dirt, and debris. He felt that weight on his chest. Since quietude no longer mattered, he blurts out to Ty,
"I’se gotta get outta here! Move or lemme pass!"
See, the thief had built up assumptions about the elf and his investment in the human drama.
"I’se gotta get outta here! Move or lemme pass!"
See, the thief had built up assumptions about the elf and his investment in the human drama.
OOC:
This leaves it open. If Ty complies, Dufgal will use his next full action to get past and back to his pack. If not, he will push and wriggle by force to get past him. Last edited March 16, 2025 3:41 pm
Mar 16, 2025 3:59 pm
OOC:
Covered in the Discord, but just be aware the flaming tomb denizen will still be in the way if you slip past Ty, and it will require shoving / wrestling out of the way.[ +- ] Quick Map. Squares are 5'
G = Tomb Denizen
Mar 16, 2025 9:49 pm
Ty hears Dufgal's panicked command, which follows the roar of falling earth and stones. The snarl of weeds and flowers that passes for Ty's elfin heart sinks, for he knows that something has gone terribly wrong in the relic chamber behind him. But he can't allow himself to be distracted, not with the smoldering zombie still blocking the crawlspace in front of them.
"You aren't going anywhere if I can't deal with this.. thing!" Tyravasiel snaps back. So saying, he thrusts the point of his mithril javelin at the man-ghoul. If he can bring it down, then they'll only have the rotting serpent to conquer.
"You aren't going anywhere if I can't deal with this.. thing!" Tyravasiel snaps back. So saying, he thrusts the point of his mithril javelin at the man-ghoul. If he can bring it down, then they'll only have the rotting serpent to conquer.
Rolls
Attack w/ Javelin - (1d20)
(14) = 14
Potential Damage - (1d6-1)
(5) - 1 = 4
Mar 16, 2025 9:59 pm
OOC:
Will resolve this tonight, but be aware: in DCC, no attacks of opportunity. So Ty could attack and then back up / slide to the slide, allowing Dufgal to come forward, were he so-minded...Mar 17, 2025 4:54 am
The javelin passes straight through the awful tomb-thing, piercing its jaw, neck and torso. The razor tip separates rotting muscle from brittle bone, and the flaming thing collapses onto the tunnel floor as Ty withdraws his weapon, which trails black blood and putrid viscera.
If face up, The tomb serpent can strike and move from the body normally.
If face down, It will take the tomb serpent a round to squirm free!
Make a Luck roll, Ty. Success will mean the thing collapses face-down.
OOC:
Does the body collapse face-down or face-up?If face up, The tomb serpent can strike and move from the body normally.
If face down, It will take the tomb serpent a round to squirm free!
Make a Luck roll, Ty. Success will mean the thing collapses face-down.
Mar 17, 2025 5:11 am
OOC:
I should also note that a lurker following along pointed out that DCC *does* have attacks of opportunity, of sorts. We'll discuss in the Discord and make a final ruling...Mar 17, 2025 5:43 am
"Push past, mister elf! You have your chance! I’se be right behind you’se! And if the snake bites, I’se sure try to dodge it."
Mar 17, 2025 12:48 pm
"Would that I might, my burly friend!" Tyravasiel calls back. It is audibly an appellation of convenience. "The rotting serpent remains!"
OOC:
Luck be an elfin lady tonight?Last edited March 17, 2025 1:07 pm
Rolls
Luck Check - (1d20)
(12) = 12
Mar 17, 2025 11:40 pm
Frustrated by the elf’s lack of cooperation in their escape, Dufgal acts decisively. He wriggles forward with all his might and aims to push them both back into the round room where the bear cloak was found.
Mar 18, 2025 3:03 am
OOC:
Right as discussed in the Discord, Ty's not fighting being grabbed and pulled along, but neither is he helping. So a few things at play here:To grab Ty and move both yourself and him 15' past the flaming, unmoved tomb denizen and the vile serpent that still writhes in its chest, you'll need to make a Strength check, DC 10. Ty's dead weight makes this more difficult, so the roll will be at -1d.
If You Pass
The serpent, due to the Withdrawal rules, will get to strike at Dufgal as he muscles past. (In the Discord you mentioned positioning to protect Ty.) If you both move their the fire, you'll both need to make DC 10 FORT Saves or suffer 1 damage. If Dufgal takes the brunt there as well, say putting himself between Ty and the flaming ghouly, he'll risk 1d3 fire damage and a 3 might set him alight. If you have armor, take +1d to the save.
You'll both end up past the serpent in the tunnel, on the way out.
[ +- ] Say about here...
You'll stop at the serpent, getting hung up in the flaming ghoul body. You won't move pass (and won't get attacked), but both of you will need to make DC 10 FORT saves and there will be no benefit from wearing armor. Damage is 1 point if you fail the save, but at the end of the round you'll test luck at +1d to see if you catch fire.
Cool?
And after all this, of course, it's the serpent's turn.
Mar 18, 2025 4:28 am
Quite used to pushing shit around, Dufgal gets into his familiar mindset and barrels forth. He gets his body into position and leverages his weight against the elf’s trying to wedge them both forward while placing himself a bit closer to the danger as he does so. The heat of the flaming corpse is a threat, but so is staying put.
OOC:
Double success and since he wedged himself in front of Ty, there is no need for Ciriaco to roll, right? Last edited March 18, 2025 4:32 am
Rolls
Strength check vs. unhelpful elf - (1d16+1)
(15) + 1 = 16
Dufgal: Stamina - (1d20+1)
(16) + 1 = 17
Mar 18, 2025 4:36 am
OOC:
Correct! Though the serpent first gets its "single free attack," then its turn. Coming up.
Tomb Serpent
Mar 18, 2025 4:45 am
Tomb Serpent
Rolls
Serpent Strike on Dufgal (AC 12 without shield) - (1d20+4)
(6) + 4 = 10
Tomb Serpent
Mar 18, 2025 4:51 am
Tomb Serpent
Rolls
DC 10 Will Save to ignore the flames - (1d20+1)
(14) + 1 = 15
Fire Damage - (1d6)
(3) = 3
Tomb Serpent
Mar 18, 2025 4:55 am
OOC:
The snake used it's move to escape the host, then its action to move again, closing to right behind Dufgal and Ty. If it wins initiative, it's biting someone. So -- roll Init, please, both of you!Tomb Serpent
ROUND 3
Init Order: Tomb Serpent (22), Dufgal (TBD), Ty (TBD)
Rolls
Serpent Initiative - (1d20+3)
(19) + 3 = 22
Mar 18, 2025 5:25 am
Damn, that snake is fast! Dufgal doesn’t like the feeling of turning his back on an attack, but he is still bent on reaching his pack and the rest of his gear. However, it seems that this serpent must be dealt with before he will be free.
Last edited March 18, 2025 5:26 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(16) + 1 = 17
Mar 18, 2025 6:15 pm
When Dufgal shoves in between Ty and the snake, then huddles both of them along the tunnel, the elf squawks in a fashion ill befitting his imagined dignity and mystique.
"What are you--" Ty sputters. Torchlight veers madly about the place as his arm is jostled. "Do you not see the damned sn--?!"
But they are already past, and the putrescent creature is now snapping at Dufgal's heels, not Ty's own. Which is, he realizes, an improvement!
"What are you--" Ty sputters. Torchlight veers madly about the place as his arm is jostled. "Do you not see the damned sn--?!"
But they are already past, and the putrescent creature is now snapping at Dufgal's heels, not Ty's own. Which is, he realizes, an improvement!
Rolls
Initiative - (1d20)
(6) = 6
Tomb Serpent
Mar 19, 2025 6:41 am
Tomb Serpent
OOC:
Two damage to Dufgal, who also needs to make a DC 5 FORT save! The snake is literally right on your heels.Rolls
Who? Dufgal 1-4, Ty 5-6 - (1d6)
(2) = 2
Snake Chomp vs. Dufgal (AC 12) - (1d20+4)
(15) + 4 = 19
Damage - (1d2)
(2) = 2
Mar 19, 2025 7:40 am
Feeling the fangs sink into his calf, Dufgal knows that he must clean the wound quickly or be stricken by poison. This ain’t his first snakebite. He squeezes the bite wound and keeps running. How much farther is his pack? He feels delirium not too far off.
OOC:
Dufgal will use all of his round to get away. This time, with or without Ty. Last edited March 19, 2025 7:43 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Fortitude - (1d20+1)
(12) + 1 = 13
Mar 19, 2025 10:40 pm
His leg dribbling blood from two small puncture wounds, Dufgal surges on ahead, still on his belly, then on his hands and knees — then spilling out of the crawlspace over the doorway and down onto the floor. He lands with a huff in the near dark, but there, right next to the door — should be his pack and the items he left behind!
But first…
As Dufgal crawls on ahead, scrambling like mad to get away, Ty risks a glance over one shoulder. The slithering guardian, which now looks like it’s partly made of cinders and glowing embers, continues to bear down on him. Sparks and smoke hiss from the thing as it slides unnervingly down the narrow passage. Behind it, the flaming heap of its host still burns — and has in fact caught the woven branches of the ceiling alight.
A hole has already burned through that dry thatch, and the elf sees that the cylindrical passage above, where the ghoul was hiding, is actually stone-lined. Moreover, there are rungs from some old ladder or the like.
They have not yet plumbed every passage and room of the Tomb of Ulfheonar!
OOC:
Takes your whole turn (action and move) to get clear of the tunnel, and that’s leaving Ty behind. He can do the same — basically crawl for all he’s worth and dump out of the passage to end his turn. Question for Ty — are you still carrying the torch, or did you drop it when you attacked with the javelin?But first…
As Dufgal crawls on ahead, scrambling like mad to get away, Ty risks a glance over one shoulder. The slithering guardian, which now looks like it’s partly made of cinders and glowing embers, continues to bear down on him. Sparks and smoke hiss from the thing as it slides unnervingly down the narrow passage. Behind it, the flaming heap of its host still burns — and has in fact caught the woven branches of the ceiling alight.
A hole has already burned through that dry thatch, and the elf sees that the cylindrical passage above, where the ghoul was hiding, is actually stone-lined. Moreover, there are rungs from some old ladder or the like.
They have not yet plumbed every passage and room of the Tomb of Ulfheonar!
OOC:
Basically, the hiding spot the tomb denizen was using looks like its not just a niche, but a passage that goes -up-.Mar 21, 2025 3:58 am
OOC:
To be clear, Ty is up!ROUND 3
Init Order: Tomb Serpent (22), Dufgal (17), Ty (6)
Mar 21, 2025 1:23 pm
"Dufgal? What happened to Aldric and Anora? Dufgal!"
Ty shouts, but the thief has already squirmed ahead of him, into the gloom beyond the light of his torch.
Left alone, and with the charred snake bearing down on him, the elf hesitates.
He knows that he should flee. He's quite good at fleeing; it is in fact one of his principal career skills, as his shameful sojourn in the human lands may attest. But something about Dufgal's abject retreat, muscling past Ty himself as if he were no more than a side of beef, sticks in the elf's craw. It rankles to be scrambling madly away from this... diseased intestine given life.
Ty wants to know what happened in the relic room. Are they simply abandoning the priest and the high-haired human woman? And where does that upward passage lead, revealed by the burning roots?
Tyravasiel scowls back at the serpent. He turns.
First, the elf places his torch crosswise on the passage floor and shuffles back a few paces. If the snake wants to strike at him, it will have to do so through flame. Then he takes his measure of the distance to his opponent and thrusts across with the mithril-headed javelin.
Ty shouts, but the thief has already squirmed ahead of him, into the gloom beyond the light of his torch.
Left alone, and with the charred snake bearing down on him, the elf hesitates.
He knows that he should flee. He's quite good at fleeing; it is in fact one of his principal career skills, as his shameful sojourn in the human lands may attest. But something about Dufgal's abject retreat, muscling past Ty himself as if he were no more than a side of beef, sticks in the elf's craw. It rankles to be scrambling madly away from this... diseased intestine given life.
Ty wants to know what happened in the relic room. Are they simply abandoning the priest and the high-haired human woman? And where does that upward passage lead, revealed by the burning roots?
Tyravasiel scowls back at the serpent. He turns.
First, the elf places his torch crosswise on the passage floor and shuffles back a few paces. If the snake wants to strike at him, it will have to do so through flame. Then he takes his measure of the distance to his opponent and thrusts across with the mithril-headed javelin.
Last edited March 21, 2025 1:24 pm
Rolls
Attack By Fuck! - (1d20)
(8) = 8
Potential Damage - (1d6-1)
(1) - 1 = 0
Tomb Serpent
Mar 22, 2025 12:41 am
Tomb Serpent
Rolls
Flames and Cinders! - (1d6)
(5) = 5
Serpent Initiative! - (1d20+3)
(10) + 3 = 13
Mar 22, 2025 12:48 am
ROUND 4
Init Order: Dufgal (21), Tomb Serpent (13), Ty (7)
OOC:
Round 4. Dufgal in out of the passage and in room C7 which is VERY dark; Ty is still in the passage with the snake and the down dropped torch, a single move away from the exit. Need initiative rolls, and if you beat a 13 you can act!Rolls
Will the torch go out at the end of the round? Yes on a 1... - (1d6)
(1) = 1
Mar 22, 2025 1:06 am
Scrambling around in the dark, dropping down from the crawlspace, Dufgal is grateful his pack was right against the wall where he left it. He rummaged through it to find a torch and his spark stick.
He prioritizes getting his torch lit to aid his exodus. Hearing Ty call out for answers on the fate of his friend and the Lady, he takes another two moments. His eyes get watery but he blinks them back, trying to find the words. The best he can do is encourage the elf to follow him out.
"you’se best ‘urry, master elf! No tellin if there be more o’ them snakes a-hidin"
And then he puts his feet in the direction of way they came in.
He prioritizes getting his torch lit to aid his exodus. Hearing Ty call out for answers on the fate of his friend and the Lady, he takes another two moments. His eyes get watery but he blinks them back, trying to find the words. The best he can do is encourage the elf to follow him out.
"you’se best ‘urry, master elf! No tellin if there be more o’ them snakes a-hidin"
And then he puts his feet in the direction of way they came in.
OOC:
All effort toward escape. Last edited March 22, 2025 1:12 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(20) + 1 = 21
Mar 22, 2025 3:04 am
OOC:
Dufgal can light the torch as his action, then move 30'!See the map below... C9 is the collapsed chamber. C10 is the chamber you have not visited, that Ty glimpsed the vertical entrance of.
[ +- ] THE MAP REVEALED
Tomb Serpent
Mar 22, 2025 3:11 am
ROUND 4
Init Order: Dufgal (21), Tomb Serpent (13), Ty (7)
Tomb Serpent
OOC:
-1d to the Tomb Serpent's attack, making it a d16.Rolls
Serpent Chomp (vs. Ty AC 11) - (1d16+4)
(5) + 4 = 9
Mar 22, 2025 3:59 am
Ty allows himself a satisfied smirk when the guttering torch frustrates the creature's attempt to reach him.
"One would think you'd have had enough of fire, you putrescent thing," he growls. Despite his dire situation, despite the throbbing pain of his wounds, the elf does not fear. His sheer, cussed hate for this place and this beast is stronger now. It puts acid in the sap of his veins.
Again he drives his weapon through the dying flames, aiming right for the serpent's foul fangs.
"One would think you'd have had enough of fire, you putrescent thing," he growls. Despite his dire situation, despite the throbbing pain of his wounds, the elf does not fear. His sheer, cussed hate for this place and this beast is stronger now. It puts acid in the sap of his veins.
Again he drives his weapon through the dying flames, aiming right for the serpent's foul fangs.
OOC:
Yeah, fuck this thing. Spending three Luck to make the damage roll a four, for three total damage.Last edited March 22, 2025 4:13 am
Rolls
Attack Once More! - (1d20)
(19) = 19
Potential Damage - (1d6-1)
(1) - 1 = 0
Mar 22, 2025 4:55 am
The torch gutters and flickers out as Ty spears the red-hot snake through the mouth. The thing fights fiercely for a moment, turning the elf's weapon violently in his hands before it simply comes apart, raining sparks, glowing scales and sizzling bones down onto the floor of the narrow passage.
Tyravasiel-Llir's exhausted, sweat and grime-covered face reflects the glow of the cooling embers that used to be one of the tomb's most fearsome guardians... but the thing is dead, and Ty is safe. Elsewhere, Dufgal huffs as he hurries towards an exit... while Anora the Blue and Aldric lie silent, entombed not far from where Ty lies panting.
Tyravasiel-Llir's exhausted, sweat and grime-covered face reflects the glow of the cooling embers that used to be one of the tomb's most fearsome guardians... but the thing is dead, and Ty is safe. Elsewhere, Dufgal huffs as he hurries towards an exit... while Anora the Blue and Aldric lie silent, entombed not far from where Ty lies panting.
OOC:
It's going to be very dark as the snake bits cool, Ty. What's the plan? We're out of combat rounds so tell me where you're headed, Dufgal!Mar 22, 2025 7:41 am
The thief, stealing away in the dark with none of his companions, feels the quiet listening to his heartbeat as if a judge hearing the plea of a murderer. The crackle of his torch was a welcome interruption as he hustled his way to the tomb entrance. He slows to walk the edge around the sloping pit, then picks his pace back up down the hallway and begins to push on the back of the circular stone.
OOC:
I’ll pause here if a roll of some kind is needed. Otherwise, he will walk outside and travel a little ways until the crossing is narrowest rather than risk the guardian serpent again. Mar 22, 2025 2:19 pm
[ +- ] Time Tracker (after the room collapses and the serpent is defeated)
Ty's Torch, if Re-lit: 2
Dufgal's Torch: 6
Turns Until Sunset: 5
Dufgal's Torch: 6
Turns Until Sunset: 5
Mar 22, 2025 2:21 pm
OOC:
Will wait to see what Ty is doing before posting, but no roll required, Dufgal.Mar 22, 2025 9:16 pm
As darkness crowds in around the last flickers of torchlight and the smoldering corpses, Tyravasiel's wrath ebbs. He is once more sensible of his wounds, which sting like so many relentless hornets. The day's exertions weigh upon his bones; his breath rasps in the close confines of the crawlspace.
But the tomb guardians are dead. Again. And Tyravasiel-Llir is not.
So he moves back down the passage at a limping crawl until he locates his pack, which was shoved aside when Dufgal wrestled him toward the exit. Ty pulls out a torch, feels for his flint and steel, and strikes sparks until they catch in the swaddled wood. Ruddy light blooms again over rock and earth.
First he raises his fresh torch toward the relic chamber-- or rather, the massive, fallen stone that now seals that chamber from view. The elf presses his lips together. After a moment, he makes his way to the stone and places a cropped ear against it, listening for any sound from the other side.
Nothing.
"Lady Blue?" he calls. "Holy Father?"
But they do not respond.
Briefly, something flutters about Tyravasiel's heart. It's a strange sensation, fitful and intermittent, like a moth wheeling and battering itself against a lantern's pane. And it leaves Ty more puzzled than sorrowful. Why should he feel such a tremor for the loss of these humans? They were his cover and his traveling companions, to be sure, but what is one clever squirrel more or less in a world choked up with the things?
Still, the moth wheels; still it strikes, feebly.
Curious.
With a sharp shake of the head, Tyravasiel returns to the upward passage he spotted earlier. He glances along the darkened tunnel towards freedom, down which the thief Dufgal seems to be long gone. Then, leaving his pack and his javelin at the bottom, Ty takes the torch in one hand and uses the other to climb.
Aldric and Anora have paid for this venture with their lives. He may as well see a little more of what they've bought.
But the tomb guardians are dead. Again. And Tyravasiel-Llir is not.
So he moves back down the passage at a limping crawl until he locates his pack, which was shoved aside when Dufgal wrestled him toward the exit. Ty pulls out a torch, feels for his flint and steel, and strikes sparks until they catch in the swaddled wood. Ruddy light blooms again over rock and earth.
First he raises his fresh torch toward the relic chamber-- or rather, the massive, fallen stone that now seals that chamber from view. The elf presses his lips together. After a moment, he makes his way to the stone and places a cropped ear against it, listening for any sound from the other side.
Nothing.
"Lady Blue?" he calls. "Holy Father?"
But they do not respond.
Briefly, something flutters about Tyravasiel's heart. It's a strange sensation, fitful and intermittent, like a moth wheeling and battering itself against a lantern's pane. And it leaves Ty more puzzled than sorrowful. Why should he feel such a tremor for the loss of these humans? They were his cover and his traveling companions, to be sure, but what is one clever squirrel more or less in a world choked up with the things?
Still, the moth wheels; still it strikes, feebly.
Curious.
With a sharp shake of the head, Tyravasiel returns to the upward passage he spotted earlier. He glances along the darkened tunnel towards freedom, down which the thief Dufgal seems to be long gone. Then, leaving his pack and his javelin at the bottom, Ty takes the torch in one hand and uses the other to climb.
Aldric and Anora have paid for this venture with their lives. He may as well see a little more of what they've bought.
Mar 23, 2025 2:07 am
Darkstar8 says:
...and begins to push on the back of the circular stone. OOC:
I’ll pause here if a roll of some kind is needed. Otherwise, he will walk outside and travel a little ways until the crossing is narrowest rather than risk the guardian serpent again. OOC:
FYI, I don't believe the group moved the stone back into a closed position when you went inside. Recall it took three of you to move it. Anyway, got it -- he'll go to the side where he can cross the water in just a few splashes.Please test Luck -- I'll post after that.
Mar 23, 2025 2:16 am
Dufgal would feel a lot luckier with a week’s rest, a belly full of food, and a tall mug of ale, but that is a far-off fantasy. In this moment he needs grit. But he’ll take the luck if it keeps going his way.
Last edited March 23, 2025 2:16 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Luck check vs. 6 - (1d20)
(4) = 4
Mar 23, 2025 2:17 am
INSIDE THE TOMB OF THE ULFHEONAR (TY)
Spurred forward by feelings he doesn't quite understand, the bloody-footed elf ascends the cylindrical passage, a stone-lined chimney or tube that ends in a small, vaulted funeral chamber. A silence hangs in this room as Ty gains his feet and holds his torch high, it's quiet crackle the only sound.
He has, surely, found the final resting place of the Ulfheonar.
A skeleton, garbed in crumbling hides and a rusted ringmail hauberk, sits atop a graven throne of stone. A long wolf-spear lays atop a lustrous hide on the skeleton’s lap, glimmering faintly in the darkness, and a polished drinking horn hangs from the throne’s stone arm.
Spurred forward by feelings he doesn't quite understand, the bloody-footed elf ascends the cylindrical passage, a stone-lined chimney or tube that ends in a small, vaulted funeral chamber. A silence hangs in this room as Ty gains his feet and holds his torch high, it's quiet crackle the only sound.
He has, surely, found the final resting place of the Ulfheonar.
A skeleton, garbed in crumbling hides and a rusted ringmail hauberk, sits atop a graven throne of stone. A long wolf-spear lays atop a lustrous hide on the skeleton’s lap, glimmering faintly in the darkness, and a polished drinking horn hangs from the throne’s stone arm.
Lloré
Mar 23, 2025 4:11 am
OUTSIDE THE TOMB OF THE ULFHEONAR (DUFGAL)
Deciding on the path he'll take to cross the water, Dufgal has not gone two steps when he hears a voice shouting. It's Lloré, from the high ground where the skald and Dolsten decided to remain behind!
"Dufgal! Watch out! It's an ambu--AHHHH!"
A glance is all it takes for Dufgal to see them! Three archers standing on that ridge -- about to let fly!
Roll for Initiative!
Deciding on the path he'll take to cross the water, Dufgal has not gone two steps when he hears a voice shouting. It's Lloré, from the high ground where the skald and Dolsten decided to remain behind!
Lloré
A glance is all it takes for Dufgal to see them! Three archers standing on that ridge -- about to let fly!
OOC:
You've avoided being surprised, Dufgal, though it sounds like Lloré might have paid a price.Roll for Initiative!
Rolls
Who Yells? 1-2 Lloré | 3-4 Dolsten | 5 Both - (1d5)
(1) = 1
Iraco - (1d16+2)
(3) + 2 = 5
Huntsmen - (1d16+0)
(8) = 8
Mar 23, 2025 5:27 am
Having no time to thank Lloré for his warning, Dufgal scampers for cover.
OOC:
It seems by the map that he could hide in full cover around the far side of the tomb door. If not, he will duck back inside the tomb. Last edited March 23, 2025 5:29 am
Rolls
Dufgal: Initiative - (1d20+1)
(15) + 1 = 16
Mar 23, 2025 6:38 am
As Dufgal slips around the east side of the tomb entrance, trying to find some cover, several arrows whistle towards him. One splashes in the water, but two others strike and stick into the mound proper! He's safe for the moment... but now what!?
Mar 23, 2025 2:39 pm
When the light of his torch plays over the regal bones, Tyravasiel's eyes widen to glades of grass. Then his lips twist-- smugly perhaps, or to rue the missteps that have led him at last to this place.
That wolf-spear tempts him forward, but the elf hesitates to approach. Instead, he darts his gaze-- and the light of his torch-- around the chamber, looking for any passages, tunnels or holes besides the one through which he entered. After all, that field of snakeskin below must have come from something. He scans also for figures hiding in the texture of the walls, or brush that might conceal a hidden recess.
"Oh greatest of clever squirrels," Ty intones as he searches, "forgive my intrusion, but the need of your flyspeck descendants is great. For the spirit wolf has returned, and for some reason I have opposed myself to it on their behalf."
That wolf-spear tempts him forward, but the elf hesitates to approach. Instead, he darts his gaze-- and the light of his torch-- around the chamber, looking for any passages, tunnels or holes besides the one through which he entered. After all, that field of snakeskin below must have come from something. He scans also for figures hiding in the texture of the walls, or brush that might conceal a hidden recess.
"Oh greatest of clever squirrels," Ty intones as he searches, "forgive my intrusion, but the need of your flyspeck descendants is great. For the spirit wolf has returned, and for some reason I have opposed myself to it on their behalf."
OOC:
Scanning the walls for other entrances, hidey holes or camouflaged zombie people. Also, does there seem to be anything connected to the spear or horn that might react to someone removing them?Last edited March 23, 2025 2:40 pm
Mar 23, 2025 5:59 pm
Dufgal casts a harsh warning whisper hoping the sound will travel down the hall to the elf’s ears. He was told that elves listen as well as rabbits and that is why they have such big ears. He didn’t think Ty had grossly exaggerated ears, but perhaps it was the stories that were.
"Pssst… Oi! … elf! … arrows came a-whizzin as soon as I’se came out. Best stay put for a minute."
After his duty was fulfilled, the thief surveyed his potential escape routes.
"Pssst… Oi! … elf! … arrows came a-whizzin as soon as I’se came out. Best stay put for a minute."
After his duty was fulfilled, the thief surveyed his potential escape routes.
OOC:
What does he see that might serve to: let him fully escape, get better cover, or even get a supreme hiding spot that he might wait out nightfallMar 24, 2025 6:20 am
INSIDE THE TOMB OF THE ULFHEONAR (TY)
The tomb is largely unremarkable save for the carvings that adorn every wall, and the grim figure who sits at center stage. Believing he knows what to look for now, Ty inspects the place more carefully and doesn't find another passage out, a hidden door, or any strange construction that looks like it's concealing anything else.
Neither is there any answer prompted by the elf's words, and after considering both the spear and the drinking horn carefully, Ty hefts each of them and is not impaled, crushed, poisoned, or sliced in twain. Both items reek of power once they are in Tyravasiel-Llir's hands, and he knows, somehow, that the tests have been passed.
That the prices... have been paid.
The tomb is largely unremarkable save for the carvings that adorn every wall, and the grim figure who sits at center stage. Believing he knows what to look for now, Ty inspects the place more carefully and doesn't find another passage out, a hidden door, or any strange construction that looks like it's concealing anything else.
Neither is there any answer prompted by the elf's words, and after considering both the spear and the drinking horn carefully, Ty hefts each of them and is not impaled, crushed, poisoned, or sliced in twain. Both items reek of power once they are in Tyravasiel-Llir's hands, and he knows, somehow, that the tests have been passed.
That the prices... have been paid.
OOC:
Proud owner of a Wolf-Spear and a Drinking Horn. And as for those snakes of old, let's say the crawl-space cylinder thing had evenly spaced holes in the walls that the things might have once wriggled out of.Mar 24, 2025 6:27 am
OUTSIDE THE TOMB OF THE ULFHEONAR (DUFGAL)
Dufgal's cover is decent, but affords him no chance of actually escaping given that he'd need to make it into the woods for that. That would require bolting across the water and into the woods, and would risk inviting more feathered shafts coming his way.
Dufgal's cover is decent, but affords him no chance of actually escaping given that he'd need to make it into the woods for that. That would require bolting across the water and into the woods, and would risk inviting more feathered shafts coming his way.
OOC:
I'd probably ask for a Saving Throw to avoid the arrows that will come your way if you bolt out into the open.Mar 24, 2025 3:09 pm
Roughly calculating the angle of the arrows, Dufgal hopes that if he stays close enough to the eastern edge of the tomb’s mound he will be able to reach the northern forest and disappear. He moves speedily, but stealthily resisting the urge to look over his shoulder every few steps. He knows that is what would cause him to trip and make a ruckus.
OOC:
It is his intent to leave the area completely and for good. If he happens to cross Ty’s path on the way….Mar 24, 2025 7:15 pm
Having lifted the spear and the drinking horn, Ty apprehensively watches the ancient king. He half expects the old bones to rouse from their seat and clutch after the relics of Ulfheonar's rule.
But the elf's theft is answered by stillness and silence. So he exhales, shoulders the drinking horn by its strap, and carries the great wolf spear back to the shaft through which he entered.
"You'll excuse the discourtesy, my lord, but I have only so many hands," Ty murmurs. And so saying, he drops Ulfheonar's spear through the hole, into the passage below.
Standing now at the verge, Ty hesitates. He squints at the skeleton, still seated in its eternal rest. Then he limps back, snatches the wolf pelt, and carries that away as well. Over his shoulder it goes, and down the shaft goes the elf, with the torch in one hand and climbing with the other.
Once at the bottom, Tyravasiel stuffs the pelt into his pack. He shoves the pack ahead of him, out and down into the chamber of snake skins, with the shafts of spear and javelin in one fist and his torch in the other. After dropping down from the crawlspace, Ty shoulders the pack, re-shoulders the drinking horn, and makes his way to the catacomb with the fallen wall. He thinks it safer to make his exit there, rather than trying to navigate the pit with his new burdens.
But the elf's theft is answered by stillness and silence. So he exhales, shoulders the drinking horn by its strap, and carries the great wolf spear back to the shaft through which he entered.
"You'll excuse the discourtesy, my lord, but I have only so many hands," Ty murmurs. And so saying, he drops Ulfheonar's spear through the hole, into the passage below.
Standing now at the verge, Ty hesitates. He squints at the skeleton, still seated in its eternal rest. Then he limps back, snatches the wolf pelt, and carries that away as well. Over his shoulder it goes, and down the shaft goes the elf, with the torch in one hand and climbing with the other.
Once at the bottom, Tyravasiel stuffs the pelt into his pack. He shoves the pack ahead of him, out and down into the chamber of snake skins, with the shafts of spear and javelin in one fist and his torch in the other. After dropping down from the crawlspace, Ty shoulders the pack, re-shoulders the drinking horn, and makes his way to the catacomb with the fallen wall. He thinks it safer to make his exit there, rather than trying to navigate the pit with his new burdens.
Mar 25, 2025 5:01 am
OUTSIDE THE TOMB OF THE ULFHEONAR (DUFGAL & TY)
[ +- ] Time Tracker (after the room collapses and the serpent is defeated)
Ty's Torch, if re-lit: 1 / 6
Dufgal's Torch, if re-lit: 5 / 6
Turns Until Sunset: 4
Dufgal's Torch, if re-lit: 5 / 6
Turns Until Sunset: 4
Mar 25, 2025 5:23 am
Ty snuffs out his torch as he makes his exit of the deadly Tomb of Ulfheonar. A few stones need to be kicked out of the way in the half-collapsed burial chamber where Dufgal found the bronze shield, but it does not take long for the elf to emerge from the mound. He finds himself faced with the slow moving stream on the east size of the tomb, and sees that the skies are darkening. The sun will be down in less than an hour.
And as he takes a moment to get his bearings... it's impossible to ignore than there is no sign of Dufgal...
And as he takes a moment to get his bearings... it's impossible to ignore than there is no sign of Dufgal...
Rolls
Secret Roll - (1d20+1)
(16) + 1 = 17
Mar 25, 2025 5:28 am
OOC:
Dufgal -- are you going to loop back around towards town at some point, or is our thief just high-tailing it the hell -out- of there?Mar 25, 2025 6:47 am
OOC:
As a player, I want to join back up with the elf and solve this town’s problem and be heroes. As Dufgal, with his history of ruining any chance at peace and prosperity in both places he has ever been, I can’t imagine what scenario would have him head back to town. I’ll sleep on it and check the Discord tomorrow.OOC:
Adding Luck check here…Last edited March 25, 2025 3:35 pm
Rolls
Dufgal: Luck vs. 6 - (1d20)
(7) = 7
Mar 25, 2025 11:52 am
OOC:
Luck test to catch sight of Dufgal,.per the Discord...Rolls
Luck Test - (1d20)
(11) = 11
Mar 25, 2025 3:54 pm
Dufgal, after reaching the treeline, stood for a moment gazing down at the tomb’s mound, the final resting place of both Aldric and Anora. The sigh that came from the depths of his diaphragm was heavy with loss. He wouldn’t let it go for awhile.
He briefly imagined the flickering torches of Hirot barely holding back the encroaching night and the cries of the desperate villagers echoing through the narrow streets as they scrambled to get indoors and make their inventory of loved ones. Yet these were no longer his concern. Without Anora to lead, without Aldric’s quirky wisdom to guide him, the town was just another place that had tried and failed to be his home.
His last thought fell to the elf. In his wildest childish imagination, he never placed himself at the side of such a myth-come-to-life. He admits that he was a good bit intimidated by him. He hoped that he was able to fight off the snake or flee. Part of him, when he stopped at the treeline had hoped luck would reunite them. But the other, sensible part of him knows that luck is a fickle mistress like Perlagia, or whatever her name was.
He adjusted the straps on his pack, feeling the weight of his choices settle in with the familiar press of leather and steel. He had made friends, lost them, fought for things that once seemed important, and learned just how little the world truly cared. But he had survived.
The woods called to him now, whispering of paths untaken, of stories yet to be written. There was no destiny waiting for him in the trees—just the life he chose to carve out for himself. With a final glance over his shoulder, Dufgal turned his back on Hirot and stepped into the shadows of the wild, leaving behind the dying embers of a town he could not save.
He briefly imagined the flickering torches of Hirot barely holding back the encroaching night and the cries of the desperate villagers echoing through the narrow streets as they scrambled to get indoors and make their inventory of loved ones. Yet these were no longer his concern. Without Anora to lead, without Aldric’s quirky wisdom to guide him, the town was just another place that had tried and failed to be his home.
His last thought fell to the elf. In his wildest childish imagination, he never placed himself at the side of such a myth-come-to-life. He admits that he was a good bit intimidated by him. He hoped that he was able to fight off the snake or flee. Part of him, when he stopped at the treeline had hoped luck would reunite them. But the other, sensible part of him knows that luck is a fickle mistress like Perlagia, or whatever her name was.
He adjusted the straps on his pack, feeling the weight of his choices settle in with the familiar press of leather and steel. He had made friends, lost them, fought for things that once seemed important, and learned just how little the world truly cared. But he had survived.
The woods called to him now, whispering of paths untaken, of stories yet to be written. There was no destiny waiting for him in the trees—just the life he chose to carve out for himself. With a final glance over his shoulder, Dufgal turned his back on Hirot and stepped into the shadows of the wild, leaving behind the dying embers of a town he could not save.
Last edited March 25, 2025 3:56 pm
Mar 27, 2025 1:49 pm
When Ty works his way free of the half-collapsed catacomb wall and down to the stream's edge, he sees no sign of Dufgal. Ty reasonably assumes that the thief has fled back to Dolsten and Llore, who have been waiting for the adventurers on a ridge above the barrow.
The elf struggles with his prizes across the stream to the east. He spends as little time as possible in the bright, clear water, well remembering the spirit snake that inhabits it-- or is, perhaps, embodied by it. Once he's on the far shore, Ty circles south through the trees, back to where he judges Dolsten and Dufgal to be.
The elf struggles with his prizes across the stream to the east. He spends as little time as possible in the bright, clear water, well remembering the spirit snake that inhabits it-- or is, perhaps, embodied by it. Once he's on the far shore, Ty circles south through the trees, back to where he judges Dolsten and Dufgal to be.
Last edited March 27, 2025 1:50 pm
Mar 29, 2025 1:04 am
OOC:
Let's see who spots who first. DC10, please make an INT check, Ty.Huh! Well, still roll to see if you see it coming!
Rolls
Spotting (+1d for numbers) - (1d24)
(24) = 24
Iraco
Mar 29, 2025 1:23 am
Iraco
As one, they draw and prepare to fire...
OOC:
If Ty beats a DC10, we'll roll initiative to see who goes first. If he fails, they'll have a free attack. I'll roll init here for them to save time. Giving them +1d because of the crit success on the spotting roll.Rolls
Initiative - the Huntsmen - (1d24+2)
(9) + 2 = 11
Mar 29, 2025 4:02 am
OOC:
Does Ty see the attack coming? He does not!Last edited March 29, 2025 4:03 am
Rolls
INT Check (DC 10) - (1d20)
(6) = 6
Mar 29, 2025 6:19 am
Tyravasiel-Llir does not see the arrows coming, does not hear them singing through the air, sent by thrumming shortbows.
He barely feels the first one pierce through his shoulder before the second takes him high on the chest, just below his throat. A third flies past, but it is not needed: Ty is finished, and sinking to his knees as his blood runs.
Feel free to describe your fall here in a little more detail, but please do give me a Luck roll while you're at it.
He barely feels the first one pierce through his shoulder before the second takes him high on the chest, just below his throat. A third flies past, but it is not needed: Ty is finished, and sinking to his knees as his blood runs.
OOC:
Six damage, Ty. It was a good run.Feel free to describe your fall here in a little more detail, but please do give me a Luck roll while you're at it.
Rolls
Iraco - (1d20+2)
(15) + 2 = 17
Second Bowman - (1d20+1)
(16) + 1 = 17
Third Bowman - (1d20+1)
(6) + 1 = 7
Iraco Damage - (1d6)
(1) = 1
Second Bowman Damage - (1d6)
(5) = 5
Mar 29, 2025 1:53 pm
At first he is bewildered.
Why has his breath seized in his lungs? Why this tremor, then sudden lassitude in his limbs, as if he had slept too long upon them and lost all feeling? As the mithril javelin and the wolf-spear of the Ulfheonar tumble from his grasp, Ty scrabbles feebly for them with fingers that no longer obey his will. Then his legs go out from under him, and the elf topples sideways into the brush and leaf litter.
And then there is pain. Terrible, pulsing pain-- but also briefer than Tyravasiel-Llir would have thought. Already his eyes have filled with tears, and made of the arrow-shaft in his chest a strange, impressionistic watercolor. Already his pulse is slowing, and his life's blood pools around him with a welcome warmth.
If he could make his throat work, the elf might laugh to think it will all end here. Here in this haggard forest, miles from even the squalid civilization of Hirot. At least, he thinks, at least he's cheated the women who have hemmed about the last chapters of his long life with their imperious and conflicting wills: the Three Sisters who drove him onward and the Lady of Flowers who gave him chase. They will not even find his bones.
Good. To hell with the lot of them.
Tyravasiel's breathing grows shallow and faint. His eyes-- wilder and greener than the woods around him will ever be-- dim.
Why has his breath seized in his lungs? Why this tremor, then sudden lassitude in his limbs, as if he had slept too long upon them and lost all feeling? As the mithril javelin and the wolf-spear of the Ulfheonar tumble from his grasp, Ty scrabbles feebly for them with fingers that no longer obey his will. Then his legs go out from under him, and the elf topples sideways into the brush and leaf litter.
And then there is pain. Terrible, pulsing pain-- but also briefer than Tyravasiel-Llir would have thought. Already his eyes have filled with tears, and made of the arrow-shaft in his chest a strange, impressionistic watercolor. Already his pulse is slowing, and his life's blood pools around him with a welcome warmth.
If he could make his throat work, the elf might laugh to think it will all end here. Here in this haggard forest, miles from even the squalid civilization of Hirot. At least, he thinks, at least he's cheated the women who have hemmed about the last chapters of his long life with their imperious and conflicting wills: the Three Sisters who drove him onward and the Lady of Flowers who gave him chase. They will not even find his bones.
Good. To hell with the lot of them.
Tyravasiel's breathing grows shallow and faint. His eyes-- wilder and greener than the woods around him will ever be-- dim.
Last edited March 29, 2025 3:20 pm
Rolls
Luck Roll - (1d20)
(12) = 12
Mar 30, 2025 9:00 pm
EPILOGUE
THE TOMB OF THE ULFHEONAR
Twilight comes to the now silent tomb, and it is not long before night mantles the mound and its surrounds. The waters flow and the guardian lies dormant again, unaware that the treasures it was summoned and bound to protect have now been plundered.
And near the slow-moving stream that passes by the broken flank of the mound there lies not a body, but a growth of wildflowers in the shape of one. Silvery moonlight, the kind that a certain priest would have sworn at, illuminates that faerie garden, those tiny cowslips and foxgloves, bluebells and impatiens.
Whether the fae hounds and hunters sent by the Mistress of the Ninth Blossom finally found their quarry, or whether they search still... only The Three Fates know.
And in the heart of the tomb, beneath all that earth and stone? A sound. Then another. A scrabbling, a scratching, a hiss of breath... or perhaps of death.
THE VILLAGE OF HIROT
Hearts pound as the church bell rings, signaling everyone to batten shutters and lock doors, to hide children and secure weapons. The Hound comes, its awful baying sure sign of that. No heroes returned from the tomb to stand strong against the beast, but a relic has been found, the famed wolf-spear that the Haverson's inn is named for! A weapon that offers the doomed village a glimmer, if no more than that, of hope.
In the dark woods, the demon hound approaches, eyes blazing. Its desire to rend manflesh is feverish, for by now it had expected to have already bloodied its terrible muzzle. A man alone, crashing desperately in the woods is easy prey for the thing. Easy prey unless that man carries a certain lion-headed, gleaming shield of bronze. Proof against the fiery boil of chaos and entropy, that shield dissuaded the Hound, caused it to shrink back... and to turn for Hirot.
Hirot... where a bloody night awaits.
THE TOMB OF THE ULFHEONAR
Twilight comes to the now silent tomb, and it is not long before night mantles the mound and its surrounds. The waters flow and the guardian lies dormant again, unaware that the treasures it was summoned and bound to protect have now been plundered.
And near the slow-moving stream that passes by the broken flank of the mound there lies not a body, but a growth of wildflowers in the shape of one. Silvery moonlight, the kind that a certain priest would have sworn at, illuminates that faerie garden, those tiny cowslips and foxgloves, bluebells and impatiens.
Whether the fae hounds and hunters sent by the Mistress of the Ninth Blossom finally found their quarry, or whether they search still... only The Three Fates know.
And in the heart of the tomb, beneath all that earth and stone? A sound. Then another. A scrabbling, a scratching, a hiss of breath... or perhaps of death.
THE VILLAGE OF HIROT
Hearts pound as the church bell rings, signaling everyone to batten shutters and lock doors, to hide children and secure weapons. The Hound comes, its awful baying sure sign of that. No heroes returned from the tomb to stand strong against the beast, but a relic has been found, the famed wolf-spear that the Haverson's inn is named for! A weapon that offers the doomed village a glimmer, if no more than that, of hope.
In the dark woods, the demon hound approaches, eyes blazing. Its desire to rend manflesh is feverish, for by now it had expected to have already bloodied its terrible muzzle. A man alone, crashing desperately in the woods is easy prey for the thing. Easy prey unless that man carries a certain lion-headed, gleaming shield of bronze. Proof against the fiery boil of chaos and entropy, that shield dissuaded the Hound, caused it to shrink back... and to turn for Hirot.
Hirot... where a bloody night awaits.
Rolls
Will Save (DC 15) - (1d20+0)
(11) = 11
Mar 30, 2025 11:21 pm
OOC:
Such a fantastic game! Thank you for running this, Harrigan. I loved all of the characters, and the conclusion was satisfying in its own grim way. It's important to OSR-style play that there's no expectation of victory. The story is what happens to the world as a result of the characters' actions, and it is uniquely open-ended. Apr 1, 2025 12:53 am
OOC:
I had a blast! It's a joy to run games for consistent, creative, and downright awesome players. Your characters never disappoint, Ciri, but Ty was pretty special!